Matcha bowl / Kyo-yaki "Umé" Eiraku Sokuzen

Kyo-yaki matcha bowl with plum blossom motif in the rising sun made by Eiraku Sokuzen alias Eiraku Zengoro XVI (1935-1998) in Kyoto.

Eiraku Sokuzen was a 16th generation brazier maker and potter from the Eirarku family as part of "Senke Jisshoku" (the ten designated artisan families who supply their products to the three schools of Senke tea ceremonies).
Plum blossoms are so familiar to the Japanese that before the Nara period (710-794) the word "flower" referred to the plum blossom. This motif represents perseverance and vitality, as the plum tree withstands the harsh winter and is the first to bloom in spring.