Blue and White Imari Ugai Chawan with Sumo Wrestler Design

Blue and white Imari ugai-chawan with sumo wrestler design, Arita, Japan. Edo Period 1603-1868, c. 1800-1850. Of conical form in finely potted porcelain with a gently splayed foot, finely and most unusually decorated with a characterful sumo wrestler in a dohyo - tournament ring to the interior and sake cups floating on water to the exterior, in underglaze cobalt. In Edo period Japan (1603–1868), the ugai-chawan, gargle tea bowl, was a small porcelain bowl used as part of the ohaguro tooth-blackening ritual, a beauty and social custom primarily among married women, geisha, and some aristocrats including males, as teeth were viewed as being part of the human skeleton, and thus seen as ugly and symbolic of death. The highly astringent and bitter dye made from iron filings, vinegar, and tannin-rich gallnut powder required repeated application to the teeth, followed by rinsing the mouth to remove excess residue and alleviate the harsh taste. Adherents would gargle with water from the ugai-chawan and spit into a nearby basin - mimidarai, completing the maintenance of their elegant blackened smile. These bowls were often part of elaborate cosmetic sets included in a bride's trousseau. While the origin of usage for this piece is very specifically for use in ohaguro, in today’s world it can be used as an interesting and characterful tea bowl for casual use.

Condition Details:
In very good condition showing only a few signs of wear such as small marks or scuffs.