Cinnabar chawan tea bowl by Shin Fujihira

Width 12cm x Height 7.5cm

A conversation with Yasushi Fujihira

A rounded and tolerant appearance

The rounded shape of Shin Fujihira's "Cinnabar Tea Bowl" gives a sense of capacity . When you hold it in your hand, it has a warmth that makes you want to embrace it with both hands. The calmness that emanates from the entire bowl brings tranquility and healing to the user's mind.

The mysterious color and aura of cinnabar

The rich color of the cinnabar glaze, with its faintly translucent red, exudes a unique depth and mystery . When you look at this tea bowl, you are fascinated by the subtle expressions created by the changes in color, and you can sense a mysterious aura. This reflects Mr. Fujihira's poetic sensibility, and makes it seem more valuable as a work of art than just a vessel.

Fusion of potter's wheel and hand-building

Fujihira Shin is known for not using the potter's wheel much in his everyday life, but while he did use one to create this tea bowl, he adopted a unique approach. While the body was shaped on the potter's wheel, the base was added by hand-building . By combining the techniques of the potter's wheel and hand-building in this way, he has managed to achieve an exquisite balance between hardness and softness. Fujihira says, "The potter's wheel is a machine, so it produces hardness. On the other hand, it's difficult to produce a crisp, crisp texture when hand-building. I incorporated the best of both worlds," and this technical ingenuity is evident in the piece.

Challenging and playfulness in tea pottery

Tohei had not worked on tea ceremony ceramics for a long time, but in 1993, he held a solo exhibition titled "Tohei Shin - Playing with Tea Ceremony" at the Kyoto Tea Ceremony Museum, which prompted him to start making tea ceremony ceramics again. This exhibition was made possible by a suggestion from Hayashiya Seizo, and displayed a group of tea ceremony ceramics created based on Tohei's free-spirited idea of "trying things however you like." His unique sense of playfulness and experimental spirit with regard to materials and techniques are strongly reflected in the "Cinnabar Tea Bowl."

Shin Fujihira’s life as a potter and his style

Shin Fujihira was born into a family that operated a pottery business in Gojozaka, Kyoto. He studied under Shimizu Rokubei and, in addition to creating tableware, created ceramic sculptures that were full of poetic sentiment, carving out a unique realm that earned him the nickname "Poet of Pottery." His works include sculptural elements inspired by Ming ware from the Han and Tang dynasties, as well as light decorations that make full use of line drawings and engraved lines. His attitude of valuing "play" is vividly reflected in his tableware and ceramic sculptures.

The appeal of cinnabar-glazed tea bowls

The warmth and gentleness of the deep scarlet of the cinnabar-glazed tea bowl captures the hearts of those who use it. The rare cinnabar glaze has been skillfully used to create a unique soft yet heavy texture. When you pick up this tea bowl, you will be entranced by its beauty and will naturally want to embrace it with both hands. The "Cinnabar Tea Bowl" is an excellent piece of pottery and tea utensil that combines unique techniques and a poetic sensibility. The rounded form, the deep color of the cinnabar glaze, and the unique shape created by combining the potter's wheel and hand-forming capture the hearts of those who see and use it. This tea bowl fully expresses the free, poetic and stylish creative attitude.

Shin Fujihira Biography
1944 Entered Kyoto Higher Technical School but dropped out due to illness
1945 Started pottery at Tohei Ceramic Arts
1957: Won the Hokuto Prize at the 13th Nitten Exhibition
1960 Florence International Ceramic Exhibition, Italy
1963: Received the Kikka Award at the 6th Shin-Nihon Exhibition and the Kyoto Prefecture Cultural Merit Award
1968 New Generation Contemporary Ceramic Art Exhibition: Ceramic Art Today - From Kyoto
1970 Contemporary Ceramics Europe and Japan Exhibition
1973 Received the Japan Ceramic Society Award
1974 Latin American Travel Exhibition
1976 Traveling exhibition of Japanese ceramic masterpieces in East Germany
1978 Traveling exhibition of Japanese ceramic masterpieces in West Germany
1982 US/Canada Traveling Exhibition
1983 Contemporary Japanese Crafts Exhibition
1985: Perspectives on Contemporary Japanese Art
1990: Winner of the Kyoto Art and Culture Award
1991 Received the Kyoto City Cultural Merit Award

"This is a new, unused piece. It is currently kept at the Fujihira Shin Memorial Museum. If you purchase it, his son, Fujihira Yasushi, will create a box to certify that it is an authentic piece."