Chawan Handcrafted Japanese Tea Bowl (Chawan) Bizen Ware

Entirely without glaze, this tea bowl unfolds its effect solely through the interplay of fire, ash, and clay – a hallmark of Bizen ware, one of Japan's oldest and most highly regarded firing traditions. The warm, reddish-brown clay body carries fine natural color gradations, so-called hi-iro, which develop during the days-long wood-fired kiln process entirely without artificial addition of glaze.

The widely flaring, slightly funnel-shaped wall with its clearly visible throwing rings shows the close connection between material and craftsmanship that is typical of Bizen-yaki. Fine bluish-gray shadings, which formed during firing through ash deposits, extend across part of the surface and lend the bowl additional depth. The foot, with its rough, untreated texture, underscores the earthbound, archaic character of the piece.

This handcrafted tea bowl comes in a wooden box signed by the master potter and was created in the Heisei period. As an expression of the purest ceramic art of nature, it is an impressive collector's piece for lovers of traditional Japanese tea ceramics.