Description

This superb bowl is emblematic of a great tradition of Japanese pottery: Hagi-Yaki. These are ceramics historically created in the town of Hagi in Yamaguchi prefecture, a craft tradition that goes back almost 400 years. They are identifiable by their pure shapes, pleasant to the touch, and above all by their delicate glaze, which allows the color of the clay to shine through.

This is a chawan, a bowl designed for the tea ceremony and the consumption of matcha (beaten green tea). Hagi ceramics are well known to tea and sake enthusiasts: not only does the clay used retain heat well (so you can take your time enjoying your beverage), but above all the glaze is lightly stippled: this allows liquids to seep through and gives it a lovely patina over time.

Accidentally broken, this 15 cm diameter, 8 cm high chawan has been restored using the traditional kintsugi technique, with natural lacquer and gold powder. This is the only restoration technique that preserves an object’s edible use: you can therefore reuse this bowl to drink your favorite tea, or simply display it as an object to admire.

This unique piece, signed by the potter, comes with a certificate of authenticity.

Myriam’s view:
Here, this chawan boasts a type of profile much appreciated by tea lovers: the sugi-nari shape, which literally means “cedar-shaped”. This is a reference to the conical silhouette of the great cedars… but turned upside down to transform it into a bowl. The cedar is a very important and auspicious tree in Japanese culture, which is why sugi-nari bowls are so highly prized!