Tea Bowls "in Bloom"

From February 3 to July 15, the Freer Gallery of Art will be presenting an exhibition of Japanese tea bowls featuring plants and flowers.

During the tea ceremony, painted images of seasonal flowers and auspicious plants link the tea bowl to the moment or meaning of the gathering. Such images first appeared on tea bowls made at Japanese kilns in the late sixteenth century. The decoration, inspired by vessels imported from China, Korea, and Southeast Asia, used iron–brown or cobalt–blue pigment brushed under the glaze. During firing, the colors tended to melt into the glaze, producing an irregular and muted effect. In the mid–seventeenth century, potters introduced a newer Chinese technique, painting rainbow–colored translucent enamels over the glaze. Both modes of decoration have enjoyed enduring popularity. This exhibition of decorated tea bowls and water jars focuses on the older mode, which skillfully uses a limited palette to evoke the full spectrum of nature's hues.