Tanba Red Tea Bowl Nishitan Masashi

Width: 14.0cm Depth: 13.2cm Height: 10.6cm

Tanba Red Tea Bowl by Nishihata Tadashi - A universe of embers where the crimson of the embers and the forged iron intersect

1. Carbonized landscape hidden in a scarlet veil

The red that covers the exterior walls is a color that was achieved by first firing the iron-rich Tanba clay to a dark brown through strong reduction, and then turning it into an oxidizing atmosphere towards the end. The remaining ink black from the reduction process appears like a gradation from the base to the slope, creating a scene that looks as if it were covered in patches of soot rising from the embers. This gradation of red and black condenses the drama of the temperature difference and oxidation-reduction created by the flames, and it seems to send a quiet heat into your heart every time you look at it.

2. The wavy rim - a design reminiscent of the unevenness of lava

The rim is gently wavy all the way around, with large dents and thinly carved away areas here and there. This natural undulation is caused by pushing the clay back with the fingers after shaping it on the potter's wheel, and combined with the rough outer surface, it evokes the ridges of a lava dome carved by wind and fire. The feel on the mouth changes depending on where your lips place it, adding a subtle sense of playfulness to your tea ceremony movements.

3. The wonderful texture created by the coarse soil

Tanba rough clay contains many feldspar particles and fine iron ore particles, and these particles are clearly visible even after firing. Fine iron specks and white quartz grains sparkle like stardust on the scarlet surface, and the shadows flicker depending on how the light hits it, creating a deep, three-dimensional effect despite the single color. When you pick it up, it has a rough texture, giving you the tangible feeling of touching "clay" with your fingertips.

4. The light of the carbonized glaze boiling up from within

A semi-glossy crimson color spreads from the inside to the inside wall, creating a contrast with the matte red of the outside wall. The iron that turns into a glaze during firing takes on a vitreous quality, and where it accumulates thinly it gives off a dull metallic shine. When matcha is poured into the pot, the three colors of green, red, and black intertwine within the pot, creating a fantastical scene, as if a single drop of the universe were trapped in the palm of your hand.

5. Lightweight, slim design and functional beauty

The body is cut rather thinly and fired densely at high temperatures, making it surprisingly lightweight. The inside is hemispherical, so it does not interfere with the movement of the tea whisk, and is versatile enough to be used for both thin and thick tea. The foot is cut low, and the reddish brown color of the base material remaining around the base lowers the center of gravity of the entire vessel while ensuring stability on the table.

6. The coexistence of wabi-sabi and the brilliance of fire

In wabi-cha tea, tranquility and simplicity are valued, but this piece, while clad in a strong scarlet color, suppresses excessive gaudiness with the roughness of the earth and the black of the ash, allowing wabi-sabi and vitality to coexist in an exquisite balance. Nishihata Tadashi says, "The red of Tamba is the color that resides on the border between fire and earth," and by making the most of the scarlet color drawn by nature and avoiding artificial decoration as much as possible, he has sealed the energy of earth and fire itself into the vessel.

7. Variations of red woven by the years

The matte scarlet exterior absorbs the oils from your hands over the years of use, gradually acquiring a moist luster. The remaining ink black from reduction turns softer and browner, and the semi-gloss of the interior mixes with tea stains and changes to a dull metallic shine. Because it has no crazing, the passage of time is slower, but its great charm is that it will quietly mature in harmony with the owner's lifestyle, growing into a one-of-a-kind landscape.

The breath of the embers turns the red of this Tanba red tea bowl, revealing the rough surface of the Tanba earth. When held in the palm of your hand, it conveys a quiet yet certain heat and rustic charm, adding a memory of the flames to the once-in-a-lifetime experience of the tea ceremony. We hope you will treasure it for a long time and enjoy the color of the red as it breathes and deepens over the years.

Masashi Nishibata Biography

Born on February 24, 1948. Started making pottery in 1969. 1976. Hyogo Prefectural Exhibition Encouragement Award. 1986. Selected for the Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition for the first time. 1988. Selected for the Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition, Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition, Japan Crafts Association President's Award. 1989. Selected for the Japan Ceramic Art Exhibition, Handon no Kai, Nogawa Memorial Award. 1991. Selected for the Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition, Selected for the Japan Ceramic Art Exhibition, Grand Prize at the Tea Ceremony Forms Exhibition. 1992. Selected for the Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition, Tea Ceremony Forms Exhibition, Excellence Award, Hyogo Prefecture Emerging Artist Encouragement Award. Invited to exhibit at the NHK-sponsored Paris-Japanese Ceramics Now 100 Selections, Excellence Award at the Tea Ceremony Forms Exhibition. 1993. Selected for the Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition, Solo Exhibition at Sogo Hiroshima Store, Kyoto Chemin. 1994. Selected for the Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition, Solo Exhibition at Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi Main Store. 1995. Selected for the Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition, Solo Exhibition at Sogo Hiroshima Store. 1996. Selected for the Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition. Awarded the Excellence Award at the Tea Ceremony Art Exhibition, solo exhibition at Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi Main Store
1997 Encouragement Award at the Tea Ceremony Art Exhibition 1998 Selected for the Japanese Traditional Crafts Exhibition Solo exhibition at Mitsukoshi Nihonbashi Selected for the Japanese Traditional Crafts Exhibition 2000 Solo exhibition at Mitsukoshi Nihonbashi Solo exhibition at Mitsukoshi Fukuoka 2001 Selected for the Japanese Traditional Crafts Exhibition at Gallery Dojima 2002 Solo exhibition at Mitsukoshi Nihonbashi Solo exhibition at Gallery Dojima 2003 Solo exhibition at Santa Fe Touchingston, USA 2004 Father and son exhibition at Sogo Hiroshima store Grand Prize at the Tea Ceremony Art Exhibition 2005 Exhibited at Akashi City Museum of Culture and Hyogo Ceramics Exhibition Purchased Akadobedai, Hyogo Ceramic Art Museum Solo exhibition at Gallery Dojima Mitsukoshi Nihonbashi 2006 Grand Prize at the Tea Ceremony Art Exhibition Selected for the Japanese Traditional Crafts Exhibition at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and the Japan Society Gallery of New York Solo exhibition at Takashimaya Yokohama Touchingston, USA Father and son exhibition at Takashimaya Matsuyama 2007 Toshun-kai Exhibition, Sogo Yokohama Encouragement Award at the Tea Ceremony Art Exhibition Selected for the Japanese Traditional Crafts Exhibition 2008 Selected for the Japanese Traditional Crafts Exhibition Solo Exhibition, Yokohama Takashimaya Mitsukoshi Main Store, Santa Fe, Touchingston, USA Toshun-kai Exhibition, Funabashi Seibu Sogo Hiroshima Invited to exhibit at the Japanese Ceramics Exhibition 2009 Solo Exhibition, Gallery Dojima, Sendai Mitsukoshi 2010 Sogo Kobe Exhibited at the Musee Tomo Grand Prize Exhibition, Contemporary Tea Solo Exhibition, Yokohama Takashimaya Touchingston, USA, Santa Fe, 2011 Invited to exhibit at the Japanese Ceramics Exhibition Solo Exhibition, Joan B. Marvis, New York, USA Invited to exhibit at the Japanese Ceramics Exhibition 2013 Exhibited at the Musee Tomo "Contemporary Famous Bowls" Solo Exhibition, Mitsukoshi Main Store, Santa Fe, USA Miyazaki Gallery, Sogo Kobe Chiba Sogo 2014 Solo Exhibition Solo Exhibition, Mitsukoshi Main Store, Santa Fe, USA 2015 Received the Hyogo Prefecture Cultural Award in 2016. Exhibited at Higashihiroshima City Museum of Art for Ceramics that Color Our Lives - Food Wares. Exhibited at Joan B. Marvis' 40th Anniversary Exhibition in 2017.
Solo Exhibition at Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi Main Store in 2018

A conversation with Masashi Nishibata