Japanese Imari Floral Motifs Lidded Bowl (Futa-mono)

This vintage Japanese Imari lidded tea bowl (futa-mono) hails from Imari, a coastal ceramic hub in Japan whose craft shares an inherent cultural lineage with China’s. I hold the view that no other ceramic bowls or cups can rival Japanese ones in their classic, understated elegance – hence the immediate sense of affinity upon first sight. With its low, stable form, it is incredibly ergonomic and easy to use with contemporary Chinese tea brewing methods.

The Japanese futa-mono (lidded tea bowl) emerged during the Azuchi-Momoyama Period (corresponding to the Late Ming Dynasty in China). In the transition from the Late Ming to the Early Qing Dynasties, the form of Japanese futa-mono was introduced to China – a time when the pure tea drinking method (tea brewing method) was gaining widespread popularity in China. This form gradually evolved into the Chinese three-talents gaiwan in the late Kangxi reign, a classic vessel that has remained in use to this day.

The cultural exchange of porcelain decorative patterns and vessel shapes between China and Japan has never ceased. It features an intricate interplay of mutual imitation and reference, a testament to their shared and unbroken cultural lineage.

Illustrated History of the Evolution of Chinese Tea Utensils by Guo Danying & Wang Jianrong
Textual Research on Chinese Gongfu Tea by Ding Yishou
The Influence of Jingdezhen Porcelain of the 17th Century on the Early Imari Porcelain of Japan by Liu Zhaohui
A Study on Ancient Japanese Ceramics by Guo Fuchun & Sun Chuanbo
Research on Jingdezhen Export Porcelain from the Late Ming to the Qianlong Period by Bai Kun)