Korean Gohon Kyōgen-Bakama Chawan

This Korean gohon chawan (matcha bowl) has a classic wan-nari shape, covered in a transparent glaze that brings out the striking gohon effect. The bowl is further decorated using the mishima slip inlay technique with a traditional motif called kyōgen-bakama (狂言袴 - kyōgen pants), which consists of an encircled flower, reminiscent of the crests found on the pants of kyōgen performers, hence the name.

In modern usage, gohon or gohonte (御本・御本手) typically refers to an array of pink or white spots against a grey or beige background. This effect typically occurs within the clay itself as bubbles or imperfections within the clay rise to the surface in the kiln. It gets its name from the order forms and catalogue books (御本 - gohon) that tea masters used in the Azuchi-Momoyama period to order tea bowls from potters and kilns in Korea. Many of those gohon chawan (御本茶碗) had these spots, hence the name gohonte. They often appear on many other Korean chawan styles, especially kohiki and totoya chawan.

Due to the handmade nature of teaware and naturalistic aesthetic of Korean ceramics, subtle variation in colour, texture, and size is to be expected.

This chawan was made by Karaku Kiln and comes with a paulownia wood box (kiribako - 桐箱) signed by the artist.