Tenmoku glaze tea bowl by Okada Yu

Width: 13.3cm Height: 8.0cm

Tenmoku glaze tea bowl by Okada Masaru - "It is as if the wind is blowing gently inside and outside the vessel, creating a gentle shadow."

Deep lapis lazuli Tenmoku glaze with starry shadows

The Tenmoku glaze that covers this piece is a nearly jet-black lapis lazuli base, with tiny crystals like silver sand scattered throughout. Whenever it catches a soft light, the glitter emerges like the twinkling stars in the night sky, evoking a sense of both serenity and depth.

The purple-red "fire pattern" running along the rim

The reddish-purple color of the rim, achieved through reduction firing, has a warmth reminiscent of twilight shining through darkness. The subdued saturation of the purple lends a soft accent to the black glaze, creating a subtle aftertaste under the light of the tea ceremony.

A gentle bowl shape that embraces the wind

The body of the piece juts out slightly before gradually converging, gently resting on a high base for a balanced appearance. The slight bulge caused by the natural weight of the potter's wheel after shaping creates a wavering effect on the surface that evokes the mountain breezes of Sumiyama, Uji.

Cloud bands drawn by reduction flames

A band of glaze pools runs down the middle of the glaze surface, with different shades of black overlapping like a sea of ​​clouds. As light traces the band, the boundaries between the shades gradually blend together, evoking the image of layers of clouds floating in the sky before dawn.

Functional beauty in the palm of your hand

The rim is thin and smooth to the touch. The opening is just wide enough to allow for the movement of the chasen tea whisk and ensure even foaming. The low base ensures stability, while the center of gravity is designed to allow for easy rotation with a snap of the wrist.

A crystallization of tradition and poetry

The Tenmoku glaze, which has its roots in the Jianzhan of the Song dynasty, is fused with the artistic sense honed at Gojozaka in Kiyomizu. The stars drawn by the iron, the purple crimson engraved by the flame, the rhythm of the wind created by the hand-twisting - Okada Masaru's philosophy of "transferring familiar scenery onto vessels" gives this tea bowl a quiet poetic feeling.

This Tenmoku-glazed tea bowl evokes the darkness of a moonlit night and the sparkle of stardust. As you slowly turn it in your palm, the shadows change, bringing a mysterious story to your tea ceremony.