White Porcelain Firefly Constellation Tea Cup Scorpio Sagittarius Suwa Sozan

Width: 12.7cm Height: 6.7cm

This "White Porcelain Hotaru-de Constellation Tea Bowl" is a masterpiece that embodies the fantastical and lyrical endeavors of Suwa Sozan IV. Using the "Hotaru-de" technique, which takes advantage of the transparency and translucency of porcelain, it captures the image of the constellations shining in the night sky in a single bowl. The starry dots that appear on the surface are not merely decorative, but actually represent the actual constellations. The application of thin layers of color creates a soft glow and narrative quality not found in monochromatic porcelain.

What is Hotarute? - Its Technique

"Hotarute" is a porcelain decoration technique that originated in Jingdezhen, China during the Ming dynasty. It involves carving openwork into the porcelain body, then applying glaze and firing it, allowing dots and patterns to appear through the light. At first glance, the openwork is hidden by the thickness of the vessel, but its presence is revealed when light shines through, giving it an extremely poetic beauty.

Suwa Sozan has reconstructed this traditional hotarude technique with a modern sensibility, elevating it to a unique style of depicting constellations through a series of dots. In this work, Scorpio and Sagittarius are placed in symbolic positions, with each star shining quietly and taking on a colorful glow.

The wonderful colors and composition of the stars

The inside of the small holes made by the firefly hand is coated with a transparent glaze in pale pink, indigo, yellow-green, or purple, and when light is shone on it, colorful stars appear faintly. The colors are by no means vivid, but are expressed as shifting between the white of the porcelain base and the amount of light, and the moment you touch the tea bowl, you get the illusion of holding the night sky in your hand.

In particular, the size, distance, and overlap of the stars that make up the constellations have been handled with meticulous care, demonstrating a deep understanding of the structure of celestial maps. This is not simply an artistic expression, but a kind of cosmic poetry that encapsulates astronomical structures within a vessel.

White Porcelain - Harmony of Form

The entire vessel rises gently from a high base, forming a refined bowl shape that opens slightly towards the rim. This silhouette is ideal for making matcha, yet it also feels comfortable in the hand and beautifully guides the eye. The pure white porcelain surface is the result of blending and firing control that Suwa Sozan has honed over many years, and while it has a subdued sheen, it also has a clean look and a soft reflection of light.

The outlines of the constellations, hand-carved, blend seamlessly into the smooth surface of the white porcelain, revealing their presence subtly in the daylight and softly in the night light.

Customizable to include individual constellations

A constellation related to your birthday, a constellation that records your relationship with a loved one, or a constellation that tells your personal story - each piece is created to suit your unique wishes.

The tea bowl completed in this way is no longer just a vessel, but a special object that embodies the individual's time, memories, and even their view of the universe.

Embrace the universe in a vessel

The "White Porcelain Hotarude Constellation Tea Bowl" is a poetic and intimate tea bowl built on the diverse technical expertise of the fourth generation Suwa Sozan, including celadon, white porcelain, nerikomi, and hotarude. The hotarude technique captures the light of the stars, and the tranquil surface of the white porcelain gently envelops it. This vessel could be said to represent countless stories and the common human longing for the night sky.

It is a small window through which we can encounter the universe within the limited space and time of a tea ceremony, a vessel of light that quietly connects people with the stars.

It is also possible to have your favorite constellation engraved on it. If you would like this, please contact Amagimichi.