Ash glaze tea bowl Nishidansei

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

The diverse hues of natural ash

The highlight of this piece is how the natural ash that accumulates on the surface during wood-fired firing melts into the surface, creating 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 grayish-white glaze with a glassy sheen on the surface, and underneath is a series of overlapping yellow-green and amber flows. The bowl evokes the image of a condensed mineral vein or waterfall seeping into a rock face, evoking the elegance of an abstract painting of nature.

Sculptural surface composition and soft ridges

The body is based on a generous cylinder, but is chamfered in several places, revealing ridges and shadows when light hits it. Ash glaze has accumulated along the carvings, creating a sparkle reminiscent of shallow water veins, while a thin layer of ash remains in the raised areas, revealing the ochre-colored base. The gently wavy edges create a gentle rhythm when drinking, while also adding a scenic look reminiscent of mountain ridges.

The rustic charm and warmth of Tanba clay

The base is made from rough clay from Tamba, which is rich in iron. The reddish-brown color peeking through the base and from the thinner areas of the glaze acts as a warm breath that neutralizes the cool gray-blue color of the ash glaze, giving the vessel a sense of depth. The coarse texture of the clay grains contrasts with the smooth, glassy ash glaze, allowing the wearer to experience the "duet of earth and fire" both visually and tactilely.

Functional beauty that shines in the tea ceremony

The cup is slightly deeper, ensuring space for the whisk to rotate naturally. The thick body gently transfers heat, keeping even strong tea at a comfortable temperature in the palm of your hand. The base is cut low, ensuring stability on the table while lowering the center of gravity so that it doesn't feel heavy to hold. The vivid green of the matcha tea stands out even more against the grayish-white and ochre glaze, and the foam of the thin tea tea is softly reflected in the glassy sheen.

Zen silence and hymns to nature

Devoid of decoration, the bowl simply embraces the landscape created by ash and flame, symbolizing the "beauty of randomness" advocated by Zen. The minute bubbles and crystals hidden in the ash glaze evoke the weathered rock surfaces and the ripples in the sand of dry landscape gardens, quietly speaking to the user about 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 within a single bowl, adding a deep, lingering impression to a once-in-a-lifetime moment.

Scenery nurtured by time

The glaze layer has fine crazing, and the longer it is used, the more 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 finish with the touch of hand, and the process of the owner's time being imprinted on the vessel's appearance is one of the true joys of tea ceremony utensils.

This ash-glazed tea bowl holds in the palm of your hand a multi-layered landscape painted with ash and flame. The clay of Tanba, ash from the wood-fired kiln, and the sculptural talents of Nishibata Tadashi combine to condense into a single vessel a story of Zen-like serenity and a hymn to nature. We hope you will treasure this piece for many years to come, and enjoy the patina that deepens with age.