Iga kiln matcha tea bowl by Yanashita Hideki

Width 11.4cm Height 8cm

When the Iga clay awakens in the flames, the vessel begins to speak.
The Iga Kiln-Changed Tea Bowl by Yanagishita Tokiki is a work that can be described as "the landscape itself," born from the intersection of the memory of the earth from 4 million years ago and modern handicrafts. The scenery that appears by chance during the firing process is actually the crystallization of a meticulously calculated necessity, and the fact that each piece of pottery has a different expression is the very essence of Iga ware. Yanagishita's tea bowl also has a unique presence woven by flames and ash, glaze and earth, and time.

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The Poetics of Kiln Transformation: Between Nature and Artificiality

"Kiln transformation" refers to unpredictable changes that occur on the surface of pottery during firing. Ash falls on the pottery and melts with the glaze to produce a green glass-like substance, and scorching, cracks, and splits appear as if by chance. However, these "accidents" are also part of the artist's intentions.

The Iga Kiln-Changed Tea Bowl by Yanagishita Tokiki is a perfect example of the "transient beauty" that is born between nature and the artificial. Within a single piece of pottery, a rich landscape unfolds, with a fiery fire color, white ash-covered areas, and a deep, dark surface - like the rain of time seeping into the rocky surface of the mountains.

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A vessel made with earth and fire

The clay used for this piece is a strong clay from the ancient Lake Biwa layer in the Iga region. It contains pebbles and sand and has the ability to withstand the strong heat of the firing process, allowing the vessel to breathe from underneath the glaze.

The surface of the tea bowl is intentionally left uneven and distorted. It is a design that inherits the beauty of irregularity seen in "Ko-Iga" of the Momoyama period, but has been reconstructed by modern hands. By inserting his own body between the material and the technique, he creates vessels that live in the flames.

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Beyond Wabi-Sabi: The Heartbeat of Living Soil

Yasunari Kawabata praised Ko-Iga in his commemorative lecture for receiving the Nobel Prize, "My Beautiful Japan." This work has revived that spirit as "living pottery of the present day." This work has a "wild beauty" that goes beyond wabi-sabi. The ash and scorching are rather traces that give the pottery life, and the pottery has an air of a "living thing" even before it is pottery. When you hold it in your palm, you can feel the temperature of the clay, the coldness of the glaze, the rough texture of the surface - all of these things will be felt through the five senses as the pottery "breathing."

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A vessel that grows with time

The more you use it, the deeper the Vidro becomes, and the light from the melted ash softens. When you pour hot water into it, the bowl awakens with steam, and the color of tea seeps into the slight crazes, imbuing it with the owner's unique "expression." Rather than being a finished work, the Iga Kiln-Transformed Tea Bowl is "an entity that grows with time spent together." It is truly a once-in-a-lifetime encounter. With each use, the dialogue between the bowl and your heart deepens, and eventually it turns into a "relationship."

Hideki Yanashita Profile
Ceramicist 1967 –
Born in Tokyo, Yanagishita is currently based in Iga, Mie Prefecture. Fascinated by pottery from the Momoyama period, he embarked on the path of ceramics. After training in Shigaraki, he built his own anagama kiln in Iga, Mie Prefecture, and opened the Kanda Kiln. Under the tutelage of Sadamitsu Sugimoto, Yanagishita has been creating a wide variety of works , including Raku ware, Yakishime, Ido, and Oribe, while deeply exploring the world of wabi-sabi from his own unique perspective. An important theme in Yanagishita's creations is the quest for new heights , born from the incorporation of modern materials and unique approaches while deeply studying the techniques and spirit of his predecessors. His works question essential beauty that is timeless, and invite the viewer into a deeper world of art.

Base of operations : Iga, Mie Prefecture

A conversation with Toki Yanagishita