Tenmoku glaze tea bowl by Okada Yu

Width: 13.4cm Height: 7.7cm

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."

The depths of Tenmoku glaze that captures the starry nightThe Tenmoku glaze that covers this piece is filled with minute crystals like silver sand in the deep lapis lazuli darkness, as if it had been scooped straight from the moonlit night sky. Depending on the angle of the light, a stardust-like sparkle emerges, and combined with the subdued luster, it creates a mysterious and profound presence. The reddish-purple "fire mark" that appears on the rim due to reduction firing adds a warm aftertaste to the quiet darkness.

After being shaped on a potter's wheel, the soft clay is gently pressed and spread with the fingertips and palms while it is still soft, using the "hand-twisting" technique. The succession of surfaces that naturally emerges with the weight of the clay is reminiscent of the movement of the wind blowing across the mountain ridges of Uji and Sumiyama. When you stroke the piece with your fingers, the pads of your fingers catch the subtle undulations, creating a comfortable weight and sense of stability in your palm.

The luminous surface of the finely crystalline glaze is dotted with silver-like, sparkling iron crystals that twinkle in the dim light of the tea ceremony. When thick tea is brewed, stars are reflected in the bubbles, and when thin tea is brewed, the green tea surface blends together like the Milky Way in the night sky. With repeated use, the tea will soak into the crazing, and the brilliance of the crystals will deepen, becoming even more fascinating as they age.

The clay of Shimizu and the flames of SumiyamaThe base is made primarily from the fine clay beloved in Gojozaka, Kiyomizu, Kyoto, but by mixing in some coarse clay from Sumiyama, dots of iron appear from under the glaze. This blends the subtle clay flavor into the jet-black glaze, bringing visual depth. The flames of the wood-fired kiln drawn up from Sumiyama envelop the clay and glaze, bringing out the exquisite color of the iron.

Connecting stillness and movement , as the shader is turned, the shadows cast on each surface on the outside are powerfully reflected like the ridges of mountains, while on the inside the soft curves reflect the gentle flow of the breeze. The shimmering light in the quiet black and the purple-red rim embody the dilemma of "stillness" and "movement" in the tea ceremony in one vessel.

A Resonance of Utility and BeautyThe rim is slightly curved, gently enveloping the mouth.The width is just wide enough not to impede the movement of the chasen, ensuring even foaming of the matcha.The base is low and stable, yet balanced for easy turning in the hand, making it suitable for a wide range of uses, from everyday use to formal koicha tea ceremonies.

Innovation that embraces tradition Based on Tenmoku glaze, which has its roots in the Jianzhan of the Song dynasty, Okada Masaru combines the gentle aesthetic beauty he cultivated in Gojozaka, Kiyomizu, with the fresh sensibility brought about by the natural beauty of the coal mines. The stars drawn by the iron, the reddish-purple outlines carved by the flames, and the rhythm of the wind created by the hand-twisting - the depth of tradition and modern poetry resonate, elevating the tea bowls from mere vessels to works of art that tell quiet stories.

With a Tenmoku glaze that evokes the depths of a moonlit night and soft curves that evoke the mountain breeze, this tea bowl adds elegance and mystery to the once-in-a-lifetime experience of the tea ceremony, becoming a companion whose shadows deepen with use.

A conversation with Masaru Okada