This beautiful Hagi-yaki chawan (matcha bowl) has a subtle spiraled shape with gentle rokurome (ろくろ目 - potters' wheel marks) which shows the flow of the potter's fingers as they shaped the piece on the wheel, and also has a beautiful mottled glaze, with shades of white, grey, red, and beige.

Made by Hagiden Kiln (萩殿窯), this chawan comes with its original kiribako (桐箱 - wooden paulownia box).

Hagi-yaki (萩焼) is a type of Japanese pottery that comes from the town of Hagi in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan and dates back over 400 years. Some of the oldest Hagi-yaki pieces have been declared National Treasures of Japan. The natural warm hues of its clay, along with the simple lines of its forms are highly valued within the traditional aesthetics of many tea ceremony schools.

Hagi ware is said to improve with age as the tannins in the tea slowly stain the fine cracks in the glaze (called crazing or kan-nyuu), creating a rich texture known as 'nanabake', or 'the 7 transformations'. Because of this slightly porous nature, some people like to dedicate their Hagi ware to one type of tea, such as sencha, to avoid having other aromas seep into the clay.

Dimensions:

12.8cm (5in) - width
7.3cm (2.9in) - height
250ml - capacity

Condition: Excellent

This vintage Japanese item ships from the United States