Japanese Ceramic Bowl with Crescent Mark by Kodai-ji Kiln Meiji Period Ex-Musuem

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An unusually shaped ceramic chawan made by Kodai-ji Kiln in Kyoto circa 19th century of Meiji Period. The bowl has … Read more An unusually shaped ceramic chawan made by Kodai-ji Kiln in Kyoto circa 19th century of Meiji Period. The bowl has a rounded shape of a monk's alms bowl supported by a short foot ring, but it has a square mouth opening. The exterior features carved lines of chevron pattern. Covered completely in a coral pink glaze except the base, the bottom well of the interior has a curious mark of crescent moon in a light-yellow color. The bowl was possibly used as a Haiki (ash bowl) during tea ceremony (chado), and one can only imagine how the moon plays hide and seek in the dark green tea during the leisurely process. As the accouterments of Japanese tea ceremony is highly attuned to the seasonal change, the specific crescent design indicates that the bowl may be only used on the new moon phase of the month. The unglazed base was branded with a seal mark "Kodai-ji". The mark is associated with Rokurokudo, a ceramic maker in Kyoto that is still in business today. We can't be entirely sure when the bowl was made but it was likely in the late Meiji Period around 1900s.
The bowl was in the collection of Yale University Art Gallery and still bears a paper label 1170A as shown.
It comes with a digital copy of the museum card of its provenance and history.
About the maker:
The first-generation Rokurokudo master opened his own pottery kiln in Entoku-in Temple (a sub-temple of Kodai-ji Temple) in the Higashiyama district. He gave his pottery works the name Kodaiji-yaki. Later, the kiln was moved to Sannenzaka Street, just by the famous Kiyomizu Temple, and Rokurokudo created fine Kyo-yaki and Kiyomizu-yaki pottery works as a manufacturer throughout the Meiji, Taisho and Showa periods. See less