Teabowl 18th century

This humble teabowl was crafted by Kiyomizu Rokubei I in eighteenth-century Japan, a vessel born from earth and fire. Its dark glaze, seemingly a cascade of night, invites us to contemplate the symbolism of darkness and light, a universal motif found across cultures. Consider, for instance, the ancient myths of creation where darkness precedes light, or the yin and yang of Chinese philosophy, where opposing forces create harmony. The teabowl's form is a study in simplicity. We find echoes of this minimalist aesthetic in early Cycladic art or even in the stark lines of a Shaker chair. The act of drinking tea, a ritual of mindfulness, echoes the meditative practices of various traditions. The teabowl is not merely a functional object. It’s a carrier of cultural memory, a vessel through which we connect to the universal human quest for balance and enlightenment.