Katō Shōkō – Oshidori Chawan, Kenzan Style (1993 Imperial Wedding Commemorative Matcha Bowl)

A pair of mandarin ducks (oshidori) glides across this Kyoto chawan in vivid overglaze enamel and gold — every feather rendered in fine gilt linework against swirling indigo-and-gold water. Inside, the rim is ringed with delicate bands of green, red, gold, and violet, a jewel-like frame for whisked matcha.

The painting follows the manner of Ogata Kenzan, the great Rinpa potter-painter of Edo-period Kyoto, whose freely brushed pictorial bowls remain a touchstone of Kyō-yaki. The warm gray glaze, exposed clay foot, and softly thrown form keep the piece grounded in tea taste even at its most colorful.

This bowl was created to commemorate the 1993 wedding of Crown Prince Naruhito and Princess Masako — today Japan's Emperor and Empress. The maker's enclosed note explains the choice of motif: the mandarin duck pattern echoes the Crown Prince's ceremonial ōni robe worn at the rites, and the oshidori pair — birds that mate for life — stands as Japan's enduring symbol of marital harmony (和合).

The original printed commemoration slip and the artist's career sheet accompany the bowl.

Katō Shōkō (加藤松香) is a Kyoto tea-ware potter specializing in iroe — overglaze enamel decoration. Trained at the Kyoto Prefectural ceramics training institute in the late 1960s, he established his own tea-pottery kiln under the name Shōkō in the mid-1970s.

His career sheet, included with this bowl, records decades of recognition: the Kyoto Mayor's Prize at the Kyōyaki overglaze ceramics exhibition, Kyoto Shimbun awards at the Kyōyaki & Kiyomizu-yaki exhibitions, the Kyoto Governor's Prize (1988), and international showings from Frankfurt to Toronto, including tea utensils made for a Japan–US cultural exchange tea gathering in San Francisco.

Artist: Katō Shōkō (加藤松香), Kyoto
Style: Kenzan-utsushi (in the manner of Ogata Kenzan), iroe overglaze enamels with gold
Motif: Oshidori (mandarin duck pair) among stylized waves
Date: 1993, Imperial wedding commemorative
Origin: Kyoto, Japan (Kyō-yaki)
Dimensions: 12.4 cm × 7.4 cm H
Weight: 214 g
Marks: Impressed artist's seal above the foot; tomobako lid inscribed "Kenzan-utsushi Oshidori-e Chawan," signed Shōkō (松香) with seal
Documents: Original commemoration slip and printed artist career sheet (tōreki)
Condition: Pre-owned from long-term storage — excellent condition — no chips, cracks, or signs of use.
Box: Signed tomobako (共箱) with ribbon

Mandarin ducks pair for life, and in Japanese art the oshidori couple has symbolized devoted marriage for over a thousand years — appearing on wedding kimono, lacquer, and tea utensils meant to bless a union.

Rendered here in Kenzan's spirited pictorial style with gold accents throughout, the motif makes this chawan a natural choice for celebratory tea, an engagement or wedding gift, or a collector of Heisei-era commemorative works.

Hand wash gently with warm water and a soft cloth. Avoid dishwashers, microwaves, soaking, and abrasive scrubbing — overglaze enamels and gold deserve a soft touch.

Dry fully before returning the bowl to its box.

This is the exact bowl, box, and documents photographed — once sold, it will not be restocked.

Shipped double-boxed with the tomobako directly from our Kyoto studio via Japan Post EMS, fully tracked and insured.