Preliminary identification
Photo reference
5 uploaded photos
Overview
This remarkable underglaze blue porcelain tea bowl features a dynamic bridge and railing motif (*hashi-mon*) on the exterior and a key-fret border along the flared, four-lobed rim. Made specifically for the Japanese tea ceremony (*chanoyu*), it displays the intentionally irregular, expressive potting and characteristic rim flaking known as *mushikui* ('insect bites').
Story
In the 1620s, Japanese tea masters commissioned Chinese potters to make wares that broke all the rules of classical perfection. This bridge bowl is a celebrated design that connected two distinct cultures through tea.
Maker / Origin
Produced by private folk kilns in Jingdezhen during the turbulent final decades of the Ming Dynasty, these wares were specially crafted to meet the aesthetic demands of Japanese tea masters like Furuta Oribe and Kobori Enshu.
Condition & Value
Displays minor rim fritting and glaze loss (*mushikui*), which is typical and stylistically expected for this type of ware. No visible structural cracks or major modern damage. Traditional tea wares retain strong value even with minor fritting.
Full Research
Sold comps, value drivers, and venue guidance pulled from recent auction results.
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Comparable demand stays strongest where maker, originality, and venue confidence line up. Broader examples still trade, but the range tightens quickly when provenance, condition, or selling lane fit is missing.
Best Venue
Specialty auction or a focused dealer with buyers already in this lane.
Signed example with light edge wear and original frame.
Comparable format with stronger provenance and cleaner surface.
Smaller related piece with visible craquelure and trimmed margins.
Period match with softer condition and weaker subject matter.
Close market lane comp with similar material and presentation.