Eiraku Zengorō is a renowned name in the world of pottery within the Senke Jūshoku—the ten crafts associated with Kyoto’s tea ceremony culture. Its lineage dates back to the Muromachi period; whilst the workshop originally specialised in earthenware braziers, from the late Edo period onwards it began producing a wide range of tea ceramics, including tea bowls, water jars and incense boxes. Successive generations have incorporated a diverse range of techniques—including imitations of Ninsei, Shōzui, Giao Chi and Kinrande—to create works that possess the splendour and dignity befitting a tea ceremony. Today, the 18th-generation Eiraku Zengorō carries on this tradition.

What one senses when viewing Eiraku Zengorō’s works is a beauty that is splendid yet never garish. Even in pieces that make bold use of vivid reds, gold, greens and yellows, the overall composition retains the restraint befitting tea ceremony utensils. In particular, his tea bowls and water jars possess a refined elegance that seems meticulously calculated—not only in the skill of the decoration, but also in the form of the vessel, the use of negative space and the arrangement of colours.

To me, Eiraku’s works appear less as ‘tradition’ that strictly adheres to ancient forms, and more as a living tradition that has evolved whilst embracing the aesthetic ideals sought by the tea masters of each era. I believe that the very elegance which brings a sense of radiance to a space simply by placing a single piece in a tea ceremony setting is the greatest charm of Eiraku Zen’gorō’s works.