A teabowl of Old Iga ware, fired between the Azuchi–Momoyama and early Edo periods. Thrown on the wheel and then deliberately distorted into a triangular form, the vessel rises steeply with a deep, upright shape. Bold spatula cuts encircle the lower body, while patches of natural ash glaze have fallen across the surface, creating varied textures and leaving areas of clay exposed.

Iga ware, produced in present-day Mie Prefecture, traces its origins to medieval kilns, but during the Azuchi–Momoyama period it evolved into a tea ceramic of striking individuality. Under the patronage of regional lords such as Tsutsui Sadatsugu and Tōdō Takatora, and shaped by the aesthetic sensibilities of tea masters such as Furuta Oribe, Iga developed into a mode of Hakaku (deliberately unconventional) expression. The present bowl embodies that spirit. Though relatively thinly potted, the density of Iga’s clay imparts a satisfying weight, conveying both strength and gravity. In its exploration of distortion and fire-marking, it achieves a bold yet dignified presence.

The condition is good, with no significant defects. Housed in an old wooden box inscribed “Shigaraki Tea Bowl.”