Kuro Raku Chawan

Name: Kuro Raku Chawan
Brand: Touan
SKU: US-M461
Price: 98.00 USD
Availability: InStock

Touan

$98.00

Colour: Black

Kuro Raku Chawan - front view of the deep black raku matcha bowl

Aka-Raku Chawan - front view of the red raku matcha bowl with black patches

Shiro Raku Chawan - front view of the white raku bowl with a waisted hantsutsu-gata shape and unglazed clay foot

The earliest and most famous raku chawan are known as kuro-raku (黒楽 - black raku) and as their name suggests, have a plain black glaze. This glaze was originally made from a mixture of white lead and stones from the Kamogawa river, though modern formulations vary. These bowls are generally fired individually at temperatures around 1000-1200°C for 1-2 hours before being removed with tongs rapidly cooled. Depending on the glaze formulation, firing temperature, and cooling method, the lustre can range from very glossy to a dull matte, with higher temperatures and faster cooling leading to glossier finishes.

Pictured here is Omokage (面影), one of the original Kuro-raku chawan attributed to Chōjirō in the late 1500s.

Founded in 1922 at HIgashiyama Senyū-ji Temple, Touan has since become one of the largest Kyo-yaki and Kiyomizu-yaki producers, with over 20 artisans hand-crafting and painting each piece. In contrast to the standard overglaze painting technique that Kyoto ceramics are known for, Touan has developed an underglaze technique that produces the same vibrant colours and delicate lines, but is more durable due to the glaze being layered on top of the painting.

Touan is headed by fourth generation potter Dobuchi Yoshiaki (土渕善亜貴) who is known for his stunning developments in glazing, creating Touan's new signature crystal flower glaze. Additionally, he is one of only a handful of potters who has successfully replicated the elusive yōhen tenmoku glaze.

Touan — rows of freshly thrown white ceramic cups and stacked plates drying on wooden boards by a workshop window

Because of their porosity, raku chawan are very 'soft' and delicate. Before its first use, we highly recommend soaking the entire piece in warm water for 30 minutes, allowing water to enter and tighten the gaps in the clay, before air drying it completely. For additional strengthening, rice water (the cloudy water left when washing rice) can be used, with the tiny rice particles helping fill the gaps in the clay. Be sure not to let the bowl soak for too long as the clay might begin to soften.

For each subsequent use, soaking for a few minutes is all that is needed. At first the bowl will produce a clay odour, but this will disappear with time and repeated use.

Due to their porous nature, raku chawan should only be used for preparing matcha and not for holding any type of food.