A teabowl originating in the Later Lê dynasty in Đại Việt (current Northen Vietnam). Rising the wall with a gentle swelling from its tall footring, the form flares slightly outward at the lip. The body is coated with a white slip beneath a transparent glaze, with the interior of the foot brushed in iron wash. The two concentric lines and a character are painted in underglaze blue on the interior, leaving a Janome (“snake’s eye”) unglazed circle at the centre.

Bowls of this kind, undecorated or sparsely adorned, were known in Japan as Muji-Annan (“plain Annam”) and, together with Shibori-de and Beni-Annan wares, were prized in the tea ceremony for their quiet refinement. This bowl holds the lustrous white glaze that carries a faint resonance of blue, imparting an atmosphere of serene stillness.

A minute flake can be observed on the footring. What appears to be a short hairline along the rim scarcely penetrates to the reverse, and other hairlines, if present, blend naturally with the glaze crazing. Overall, the condition is notably good.