Hangetsu Bunrin

半月文琳

Rank

Chaire Type

Historical Period

Current Owner / Collection

Denrai

Meibutsu 名物
Karamono bunrin chaire 唐物文琳茶入
Yuan Dynasty 元時代
Kosetsu Museum of Art 香雪美術館
Kanno Wakasa no kami 神尾若狭守 – Doi family土井家 – Murayama family 村山家Kosetsu Museum of Art 香雪美術館

Origin of Name and Stories

Kobori Enshu named this chaire Hangetsu, Half Moon, after the scenery in the glaze at the chaire’s shoulder.

Physical Description

Although small, this chaire is well known for its almost perfect spherical shape. It is said that this chaire arouses the most tender appreciation especially when taken into the hand. Compared with older kansaku style chaire, the torso does not reflect the same sharp workmanship, nor is the glazing as delicate. However, these qualities constitute the points of appreciation. A yellow brown glaze covers the entire body except at the shoulder where a half moon shaped gap in the glaze reveals the reddish clay body.

Height: 5.5 cm            
Weight: 47.5 g   
Mouth diameter: 2.3 cm   
Body diameter: 5.8 cm   
Base diameter: 2.7 cm
 

Accompanying items

Lid
Shifuku

Ivory
Two (From left to right)

Joo kanto 紹鴎間道
Hanairo ryu marumon donsu 花色龍丸紋緞子

Hikiya

Hikiyabukuro

Box inscriptions

Kuwa 桑, mulberry
Shoha 蜀杷
Four
Hikiya lid: 半月 Hangetsu in Kobori Enshu’s hand
Inner box: 半月 文琳 Hangetsu Bunrin in Kobori Enshu’s hand 
Outer box:  半月 Hangetsu
Box for shifuku: 半月 文琳 替帒 Hangetsu Bunrin kaefukuro

Research and Image Sources   
Kosetsu Museum
Chadogu no sekai series, volume 5

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