Tea Bowl Kinka-mon | The first-generation head of the Shinemon Kiln [146176]

[size]
Width: 12.2cm / Height: 5.8cm
Width: 4.8in / Height: 2.3in

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Matcha Bowl with "Golden Floral Glaze" by Shinichiro Baba, Founder of Shinemon Kiln

This matcha bowl is a rare and precious work by Shinichiro Baba, the founding master of Shinemon Kiln, one of the most esteemed studios representing Arita ware. It is a celebrated example of a tea bowl (*chawan*) used in the Japanese tea ceremony, and showcases the formative development of the kiln’s signature *Yohen* glazing techniques.

Shinemon Kiln is widely recognized as a pioneer of *Yohen*?a process in which glazes undergo unpredictable transformations in the kiln, resulting in unique and ethereal surface effects. This particular bowl features the exquisite *"Kinka-mon"* (Golden Floral Pattern) glaze, which was developed through the blending of various metallic oxides.

During firing, the glaze creates golden-brown crystallizations across the surface, resembling blooming golden flowers. The result is a sophisticated, elegant piece radiating warmth, richness, and refined beauty. Created during the early period when Shinichiro Baba was collaborating with his successor, Kusuo Baba, to establish the kiln’s distinctive glaze expressions, this bowl holds historical and artistic significance.

It is not only a functional vessel for tea, but a poetic work of ceramic art that captures the luminous beauty of nature through the alchemy of fire and glaze.



[Potter Profile]
Shinichiro Baba (deceased)

The first-generation head of the Shinemon Kiln
Member of Nitten / Full Member of the Japan Contemporary Arts and Crafts Association / Member of the Saga Prefecture Ceramic Association / Member of the Arita Ceramic Association


[Shinichiro Baba's career is as follows ]
Born in 1924 in Arita, Saga Prefecture
1972: Founded the Shinemon Kiln in Arita.
1979: Selected for the Prefecture Exhibition with "Hexagonal Celadon Bowl."
1981: Selected for the Nitten exhibition with "Oil Spot Tenmoku Large Bowl," subsequently selected 21 times.
1989: Appointed as an art exhibition judge.
2000: Exhibited "Saiun-99" and "Sai-99" at the British Museum in London (Saga Prefecture Ceramic Exhibition).
2004: Exhibited "Saikei" and "Saimon" at the Arita Pottery Exhibition in Germany.

[Main Awards]
1983: Won the First Place Bijutsu Kyokai Prize at the Bijutsu Kyokai Exhibition for "Cinnabar Flower Vase."
1986: Received the Grand Prize and the Contemporary Craft President's Prize at the Contemporary Crafts Kyushu Exhibition.
1996: Awarded the Contemporary Craft Prize at the Contemporary Craft Exhibition for "Akebono no Nagisa."
2000: Received the Full Member Prize at the Contemporary Craft Exhibition for "Rensaku・Sai."