A “Yanagi-chawan” bowl fired in Seto in the late Edo period. Willow trees are designed on a grey-brown clay body with underglaze iron, and ash glaze over it. The Yanagi-mon (willow tree design) was popular in the Seto and Mino kilns because Nagoya Castle was also called Yanagi-jo (willow castle). This kind of bowl, a daily vessel for samurai, was later called ‘Yanagi-chawan’ and was praised for its simplicity and rustic beauty. This piece is attractive for its supple brushstrokes in contrast to the linear and sharp form.

There are five minor Kintsugi repairs on the lip and two hairlines.