Auction Results: Renowned Tea Bowl Returns to Public Domain; Chojiro Raku’s Black Tea Bowl Fetches 230 Million Yen

Mainichi Auction Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Koto-ku, Tokyo; President: Toshie Okazawa) held the 850th Fine Crafts and Tea Utensils Auction in Ariake, Tokyo, on May 21 and 22, 2026.

On the 21st (Thursday), the auction focused on 'Tea Utensils,' featuring a wide variety of tools used in tea ceremonies, with a primary focus on tea bowls. On the 22nd (Friday), it focused on 'New Crafts,' comprising highly artistic works produced from the modern era onwards. The total sales over the two days reached approximately 466 million yen (including commissions).

Works in these categories are generally divided into 'utilitarian' and 'aesthetic,' but there is an increasing trend among participants to blur these boundaries based on their own aesthetic sensibilities. This active redefinition by buyers has become a driving force behind remarkably strong bidding.

The top item of the auction, the 'Black Tea Bowl: Gentakuro' by Chojiro Raku, features an inscription by Sen no Rikyu and was passed down through the Konoike family, wealthy merchants with deep ties to the Omotesenke school. The Konoike family was known for holding three of the 'Seven Chojiro Bowls' (Rikyu's Seven), and 'Gentakuro' is one of their other famous Chojiro pieces alongside 'Kankyo' and 'Tarobo.' This bowl made its first public auction appearance in approximately 90 years, since the bidding held by the Kanraku-an, a branch of the Konoike family, in 1938.

Incidentally, 'Kankyo,' mentioned earlier, was sold for 920 million yen at the 842nd Special Iwata Collection Auction held by the company on February 21, 2026, marking a mysterious coincidence.

Bidding for this bowl started at 30 million yen, reaching the 40-million-yen range through pre-bidding. With relentless bids from online participants, the venue, and telephone bids, the price continued to rise through 80 million and 100 million yen. Finally, it became a one-on-one battle between online participants, concluding at 230 million yen amidst great excitement in the venue.

Additionally, the 'Red Shige Tea Bowl' by Raku Ryonyu (9th generation) saw its price jump over tenfold from the lower estimate, highlighting the intense focus on Raku tea bowls.

High prices continued in the 'New Crafts' section, with strong interest in tea bowls as well. A piece by the representative Japanese modern craft artist Itaya Hazan, 'Colored Porcelain Incense Burner with Grape Design,' believed to use the 'Hoko-sai' technique, drew intense competition from multiple venue and telephone bidders, eventually selling for 17,825,000 yen.

'1979 Jar,' a late masterpiece by modern ceramic genius Shoji Kamoda, saw a fierce one-on-one battle after passing the 9 million yen pre-bid mark, closing at 13,225,000 yen. A 'Gray Glaze Bottle' by Mineo Okabe also rose strongly, selling for 9,545,000 yen.

Fifteen pieces by the 6th generation Kiyomizu Rokubei, featuring late-period techniques like 'Koki-sai' and 'Gin-paku-yu,' sold for a total of approximately 11.4 million yen. Works by Rosanjin Kitaoji were also actively bid upon, with 22 pieces selling for a total of approximately 14.5 million yen.

Excitement for tea bowls in the 'New Crafts' category remained strong. A tea bowl by the 15th generation Raku Kichizaemon (Jikunyu) was sold for 11,270,000 yen. High-price sales for works by Lucie Rie, Kato Tokuro, and Kawakita Handeishi also underscored the high level of interest in tea bowls overall.