SENCHA CUP, Ko-Sometsuke, with grass design, set of 5, Ming Dynasty (1368–1644 CE)

A sencha cup with a slightly flared rim, the body drawn in at the waist and set on a small foot. On the bluish-white glaze, leaves and short strokes reminiscent of grasses and flowers are lightly executed in underglaze cobalt. Each of the five cups shows variations in form, brushwork, and coloration.

Ko-sometsuke denotes blue-and-white wares produced in Chinese folk kilns, chiefly in the late Ming, that were exported to Japan. Their slightly irregular forms, expansive painting, and the subtle undulation of the glaze surface yielded by firing were long admired by Japanese tea practitioners. In this example, the brisk brushwork and the broadly reserved areas of blank ground reveal the generous, uncontrived character typical of ko-sometsuke.

Gosu underglaze cobalt ranges in tone from pale gray-blue to deep brownish-black; although the grass motif is the same, each cup exhibits a distinct character. Iron-colored deposits on the rim and the exposed clay at the footring further accentuate the white glazed surface.

There are abrasions and soiling from age, kiln marks, areas of glaze loss, small chips to the rim, and some fine hairline cracks. The five cups sit neatly even when aligned in a single row and may be used as small cups for sencha or Chinese tea.