Echizen Chawan

Matcha bowl / Chawan, stoneware

Dimensions: 10.5 x 9 cm

This chawan was fired using local clay from Fukui Prefecture, which is characterized by its high iron content. The iron gives the clay a reddish-brown body, visible at the base and beneath the natural ash-splash glaze. Typical of the Kondô family's ceramics are the light-colored ash-glaze surfaces, which give the pieces the charm of objects that have spent a long time in the ocean. On this piece, however, the heavy ash-splash glaze also features golden-yellow gradients in places. In addition, there is a light-blue glazed area that creates a striking contrast with the rest of the color gradient. This area was formed by drops of molten ash-splash glaze that fell from the ceiling above the chawan. Some drops also landed inside the bowl.

The chawan was hand-built, similar to raku. This gave the chawan its soft, uneven curves, making it fit comfortably in the hands. The firing and the ash circulating in the kiln have left a unique "landscape" both inside and outside the chawan, so it is worth viewing from different perspectives. The bowl was thrown in the han-tsutsu form and is therefore somewhat lower, but fits very well in the hands. This piece was made by Ms. Sanae Kondô and comes with a hand-signed wooden box (tomobako).