Katō Hiroshige 加藤裕重 - Hira-gata Aka-Oribe Chawan

This hira-gata Aka-Oribe chawan (matcha bowl) has a wide, open shape, perfect for letting tea cool in the warmer months. This open shape is distorted by three chamfered faces that spiral up the bowl. Each of these faces is painted with a different abstract, geometric design. The rest of the bowl features a warm and subtle red-orange slip coated in a clear ash glaze. The unique chamfers, organically uneven shape, and abstract designs make this cup a great expression of Furuta Oribe’s aesthetic philosophy of hyouge (へうげ) which roughly translates to ‘playful’, ‘charming’, ‘jocular’, ‘warped’ etc.

Please note that due to the organic nature of hand-carving, glazing, and painting, there are variations between pieces, with each bowl being unique in shape and design. Five pieces are pictured above to display these natural variations.

A lesser-known Oribe style, Aka-Oribe (赤織部 - Red Oribe) gets its distinctive soft red/orange/pink hues from a local Mino clay called Akarakudo, which is processed into slip (liquid clay) and applied to the usual white Mino clay. On top of this, a clear ash glaze protects the thin layer of slip. Because of the natural origin of this red slip, the colours of Aka-Oribe can vary drastically.

Katō Hiroshige (加藤裕重) is a 14th generation potter, and the 12th head of Kitagama Kasen (喜多窯 霞仙), based in the Akazu hills in Seto. In the early Edo period, his family was one of four protected by the Tokugawa Shogunate in order to fire tea ceremony utensils for Nagoya Castle. These Oniwa-yaki (garden fired) wares for the Nagoya Tokugawa developed into a style called Ofukei (御深井). His family's kiln is the only remaining of those original four. Hiroshige-san specializes in traditional Mino and Seto styles such as Shino and Oribe, as well as the Akazu-yaki speciality of Ofuke. In addition, Hiroshige-san loves developing new styles and pursuing his own unique artistic expression.

Katō-san specializes in traditional Mino and Seto styles such as Shino and Oribe, as well as the Akazu-yaki speciality of Ofukei. In addition, Katō -san loves developing new styles and pursuing his own unique artistic expression.

Akazu-yaki (赤津焼), from Akazu in Aichi Prefecture, is often seen as merely a subset of Seto-yaki, however Akazu is one of the oldest pottery sites in the region was also the official kiln site for the Tokugawa family in Nagoya castle, with Akazu potters also firing wares in the castle garden. Many of the styles associated with Mino-yaki were originally developed in Akazu. The turmoils of the Sengoku Era caused potters to flee the Seto region over the mountains to Mino. Today, the Akazu traditions are upheld by roughly a dozen potters. 

Oribe-yaki (織部焼) is a type of Japanese pottery known for its free-flowing glazes and asymmetrical, hand-formed shapes. Dating in the late 16th century, Oribe ware takes its name from legendary tea master Furuta Oribe (古田 織部) who is believed to have played a large part in its development. Oribe wares are decorated with abstract designs and splashes of free-flowing vibrant green or deep black glaze. With these distorted shapes and novel decorations, Oribe-yaki exudes a charm that matches Furuta Oribe’s philosophy of hyouge (へうげ) or playfulness. One of the most popular styles of Oribe ware is Ao-Oribe or Green Oribe, which is decorated with geometric patterns painted with an iron glaze and then partially covered in a vibrant green copper-sulfate glaze which contrasts against the light background.

Dimensions:
13.7cm (5.4in) - width
7cm (2.8in) - height

Condition: New

This Japanese item ships from the United States.