Oharagi Replica Seto-guro Chawan

Name: Oharagi Replica Seto-guro Chawan
Brand: Nishio Kōshū
SKU: US-M434
Price: 198.00 USD
Availability: InStock

Nishio Kōshū

$198.00

This Kyo-yaki chawan (matcha bowl) is a replica (写 - utsushi) of Oharagi (小原木): a 16th century Seto-guro bowl. Like the original, it has a straight-walled half-cylindrical shape with vertical faceting or mentori (面取り) along with a subtly uneven shape and rim. The glossy jet black glaze replicates the original's hikidashiguro finish, down to the triangular patch that is left bare. The original Oharagi chawan was said to be a favourite of Sen no Rikyū.

Developed in the late 1500s by Mino potters, potentially at the direction of Furuta Oribe , Seto-guro (瀬戸黒 - Seto Black) bowls have a cylindrical shape and a glossy black glaze. This glaze has a high-iron content and the black colour comes from the hikidashi-guro (引き出し黒 - pull-out black) technique in which the piece is removed from the kiln while still red hot, around 1,200°C. The rapid cooling turns the iron glaze black. The hikidashi-guro technique is also used to make the later kuro-raku chawan

This chawan was made by Nishio Kōshū (西尾香舟) and comes with a kiribako (桐箱 - wooden paulownia box) signed and sealed by the artist. Nishio-san was born in 1950 in Shigaraki and continued his family business of producing Shigaraki teaware until 1983 when he started his own kiln. Today he produces ceramics for the tea ceremony in a wide variety of styles including many not traditionally made in Shigaraki (such as this Seto-guro)

"Shigaraki-yaki (信楽焼) is a type of Japanese pottery that traditionally comes from the area around Shigaraki town in Shiga Prefecture, Japan.

The site of one of Japan’s Six Ancient Kilns, pottery has been made in Shigaraki since at least the 12th century, with some saying it started as early as 742 AD. Made from clay taken from around Lake Biwa, Japan’s largest lake, Shigaraki ware is known for its warm colours, natural aesthetic, and glassy glazes."

Developed in the late 1500s by Mino potters, potentially at the direction of warrior chajin Furuta Oribe (古田織部), Seto-guro (瀬戸黒 - Seto Black) bowls have a tall cylindrical or half-cylindrical shape and a glossy black glaze. This glaze has a high-iron content, around 10%, and the black colour originally comes from the hikidashi-kuro (引き出し黒 - pull-out black) technique in which the piece is removed from the kiln while still red hot, around 1,200°C. The rapid cooling turns the iron glaze black. For even more rapid cooling, sometimes the bowls would be quenched in water. The faster cooling gives these bowls a glossier finish. Glazes also contract as they cool, so the rapid temperature shock causes crazing (small crackles in the glaze). To remove a bowl from the kiln while the kiln is still being fired, tongs are inserted through the small windows through which the firing is observed. As only a few bowls can be reached from these windows, very few setoguro chawan can be made from a single firing.

The hikidashi-guro technique is also used to make kuro-raku chawan and it is likely that setoguro bowls were developed first. Seeing as Rikyū owned and used several setoguro chawan, they may have been an inspiration.

Like shino chawan, setoguro bowls have imperfect shapes with visible tooling marks. Many also have a yamamichi (山見 - mountain path) style undulating lip along with an incredibly short foot.

As with Kuro-Oribe, which also originally used the hikidashi-guro technique, some modern pieces use glaze that turn black with regular firing.