An Agano ware teabowl fired at the Kamanokuchi kiln during the early Edo period. The form rises with gentle curves from the footring and turns slightly outward at the rim. A shallow tea pool is set within the well, while assertive wheel marks encircle the body. The straw-ash glaze is evenly applied down to the edge of the foot, where scattered dark specks appear, lending depth and animation to the surface.

The Kamanokuchi kiln was established in 1602 by Hosokawa Tadaoki, lord of the Buzen Kokura domain, who invited Korean potters to Ueno (present-day Fukuchi). Renowned for its refined tea wares, the kiln produced works that combined robust form with subtle glaze effects. This bowl exemplifies that tradition, its rounded silhouette and softly pooled glaze conveying a quiet warmth and tactile presence suited to the tea ceremony.

A small chip on the rim has been repaired with gold Kintsugi, from which a short hairline extends. Other areas that appear abraded are in fact glazed kiln effects. The bowl is housed in a wooden box inscribed “Old Karatsu” on the inside of the lid.