This elegant hantsutsu-gata Hagi-yaki chawan (matcha bowl) features a finely crazed glaze with a pronounced gohonte pattern of lighter dots against a warm peach and beige backdrop, with patches of darker grey. In typical Hagi-yaki fashion it features a notch cut into the foot (切高台 - kiri-koudai)

Made in 1983 by Saito Issai (斎藤一斎) of Hagiden Kiln (萩殿窯). Ships in original tomobako (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:

12.3cm (4.8in) - width
8.1cm (3.2in) - height
400ml - capacity

Condition: Excellent

This vintage Japanese item ships from the United States