ALMOST

A fellow collector in the North-East sent me this picture a short while ago of a piece by Ikenishi Go with a winter wonderland as a backdrop. At first glance nothing seems awry but the fact is this bowl is almost a chawan but not quite being a 'simple" hachi it apparently can serve in nearly any capacity and as informed by the owner it works just fine as a chawan if not labeled as such. This hachi was thrown and carefully manipulated to have a rather unconscious and unpretentious form and is covered over in a semi-dry coat of Ki-Seto glaze over various incised decoration highlighted by tanpan green accents here and there. This bowl is a bit on the large side and slightly ovalled creating a rather dynamic appearance balanced on its foot while asking to be picked up and enjoyed. Thinking back on the original precepts of tea it is clear to me that despite the lack of a single word on a box lid, if it can fulfill the  function of and fits the general description of a chawan, than what's in a word?  

(Photo by Evan Worley and used with his permission)