Yōbō Shungen (“High Peak of the Distant Mountains”), is a refined work from Raku Ryōnyū IX’s middle period, confirmed by the presence of his middle-period seal. Formed from traditional Raku white clay and fired in a black Raku kiln, the bowl demonstrates Ryōnyū’s increasing technical confidence through thinner, more controlled modeling while retaining a generous, grounded scale. Its subtly squeezed, square profile creates a quiet tension.
The surface is coated in a black Raku glaze derived from Kamo River stone, that pools and thin across the surface to create layered tonal depth and quiet visual movement. These nuanced variations evoke distant mountain forms emerging through the mist, directly resonating with the poetic title bestowed by Raku Jikinyū XV, whose inscriptions authenticate the work and its original boxes. This bowl reveals Ryōnyū’s mature understanding of glaze as an atmospheric medium, using surface alone to convey depth, distance, and quiet contemplation within the Raku tradition.
