Vintage Nezumi Shino Matcha Tea Bowl, Hayashi Eiji, Japanese Matcha Tea Bowl, Shino Ware, Chawan, Unused,
Shino ware is a type of Mino ware produced in the southeastern part of Gifu Prefecture. This type of pottery ware was usually decorated with underglaze iron painting and covered with white feldspathic glaze. The Shino kiln produced tableware which included mainly tea ceremony utensils. – Quote from A Dictionary of Japanese Art Terms
Hayashi Eiji (born 1931)
Hayashi Eiji was born in 1931 in Tajimi, Gifu Prefecture, a city renowned for its Ko-Mino ware. He studied under his grandfather, Kato Juemon, a holder of an Intangible Cultural Property designation in Gifu Prefecture, and learned the foundations of ceramic art.
After graduating from Tamagawa University, he served as an assistant at the university, where he taught ceramics. In 1968, he returned to his hometown and devoted himself primarily to the creation of tea ceramics, establishing Momoyama Kiln in Taisho-cho, Tajimi.
Ko-Mino ware has a history of approximately four hundred years and is known for such celebrated styles as Shino, Oribe, Ki-Seto, and Mino-Iga. Hayashi brought the traditional techniques of Mino ware from the Momoyama period into the modern age with his own contemporary sensibility, producing tea utensils such as tea bowls, water jars, and incense containers, as well as utensils for kaiseki cuisine and fine Japanese dining.
His tea utensils are characterized by a style that combines boldness with delicacy.
This Nezumi Shino tea bowl by Hayashi Eiji has a Hantsutsu (half-cylinder) form. The bowl has a satisfying thickness and weight, creating a strong presence in the hand.
Its surface has a yuzu-hada texture—an orange-peel-like glaze surface characteristic of Shino ware. The soft gray tone of the Nezumi-Shino glaze is enlivened by reddish-brown areas and scattered iron speckles, giving the bowl both rustic warmth and refined depth.
The substantial form and subtle surface variation give the bowl a balanced, expressive character.
It comes with its Tomobako (original signed paulownia box), Tomonuno (original artist-stamped cloth), and an artist-provided leaflet.
Measurement
Diameter: 11.5cm – 12.2cm / Approx. 4 17/32” – 4 51/64”
Height: 7.8cm – 8.1cm / Approx. 3 5/64” – 3 3/16”
Thickness: 0.7cm / Approx. 9/32”
Weight: 363g
Age: – 2000s
Material: Pottery
Color: Shino Gray, Shino Beige, Shino Brown, Shino Orange Brown
Technique: Shino
Glaze Feature: Yuzuhada (orange-peel texture)
Condition: Excellent vintage condition consistent with age. (Unused)
* Tomobako (original signed paulownia box)
* Tomonuno (original artist-stamped cloth)
* Artist-provided leaflet
* No chips, cracks, scratches, or blemishes.
* Inscription (Refer to No. 9 photo)
* Wooden nails on the box.
* Almost no discoloration on the wooden box. (Refer to No. 10 photo)
* The kodai (foot ring at the base of the tea bowl) rests on surfaces, so minor contact marks may be present.
If you have any questions about the condition or would like additional photos, please contact us before purchasing.
