Ash glaze tea bowl Nishidansei

Width: 12.4cm Depth: 10.4cm Height: 9.2cm

Ash-glazed tea bowl by Nishibata Masayoshi - A multi-layered landscape carved by ash and flames

Natural ash produces a variety of hues

The highlight of this piece is how the natural ash that accumulates on the surface of the pottery during wood-fired kiln melts and creates a gradation of colors ranging from milky white to gray, ochre, and pale blue. The calcium in the ash reacts with the silica and iron in the base at high temperatures, creating a gray-white glaze with a glassy luster on the surface, and multiple layers of yellow-green and amber flows underneath. The bowl embodies a landscape that looks as if it were a condensed version of a mineral vein or waterfall seeping into a rock wall, giving it the feel of an abstract painting drawn by nature.

Sculptural surface composition and soft edges

The body is based on a generous cylinder, but has been carved into several places to create chamfered edges, revealing ridges and shadows whenever light hits it. Ash glaze has pooled along the carved marks, giving it a shine reminiscent of shallow water veins, while a thin layer of ash has accumulated in the raised areas, revealing the ochre base. The edges are gently wavy, giving a gentle rhythm to the mouth and adding a scenic look reminiscent of mountain ridges.

The rustic charm and warmth of Tanba soil

The base is made of rough clay from Tanba, which is rich in iron. The reddish brown color peeking through the bottom and thin parts of the glaze acts as a warm breath that neutralizes the cool gray-blue color of the ash glaze, giving the entire vessel depth. The rough texture of the clay grains contrasts with the smoothness of the glassy ash glaze, allowing you to experience the "duet of earth and fire" both visually and tactilely.

Functional beauty that shines in the tea ceremony

The base is slightly deeper, allowing space for the whisk to rotate naturally. The thick body transfers heat gently, and even strong tea stays at a comfortable temperature in the palm of your hand. The base is cut low, lowering the center of gravity and making it feel light while maintaining stability on the table. The vivid green of the matcha tea stands out against the gray-white and ochre glaze, and the foam of the light tea is softly reflected in the glassy luster.

Zen Silence and Hymns to Nature

Devoid of decoration, the bowl simply accepts the scenery created by ash and flames, symbolizing the "beauty of randomness" preached by Zen. The tiny bubbles and crystals hidden in the ash glaze are reminiscent of weathered rock surfaces and the ripples in the sand of dry landscape gardens, quietly speaking to the user of the earth and the flow of time. When used at a tea ceremony, this piece creates a meditative space in which the mountains, rivers, plants and trees are condensed into a single bowl, adding a deep aftertaste to the once-in-a-lifetime moment.

Scenery nurtured by time

The glaze layer has fine crazing, and the longer it is used, the more the tea soaks into it, adding a pale brown nuance to the gray-blue and ochre surface. The pools of ash glaze that have flowed down and the red clay at the bottom also gain a glossy shine with the touch of hand rubbing, and the process in which the owner's time is imprinted on the vessel's appearance is one of the joys of tea utensils.

This ash-glazed tea bowl holds in your palm a layered landscape painted with ash and flames. The clay of Tanba, the ash from the wood-fired kiln, and Nishibata Masashi's definite creative ability combine to condense a story of Zen-like silence and a hymn to nature into a single piece of pottery. Please treasure it for a long time and enjoy the texture that deepens with the years.