White Tanba Tea Bowl by Nishitansho

Width: 15.0cm Depth: 15.0cm Height: 9.6cm

White Tanba Tea Bowl by Tadashi Nishibata - The milky white skin reflects the snowy fields and the breath of the earth is hidden within

1. A detailed view of the clear white

The greatest attraction of this piece is the fine crazing pattern that runs across the entire surface of the piece. The tortoiseshell-shaped cracks, created by the difference in shrinkage between the milky white glaze and the base as it cools, are reminiscent of the cracks in the ice on the surface of a frozen lake. When light hits the lines of the crazing, they cast a subtle shadow, creating an outstanding effect of rich shadows and rhythm in the tranquil white.

2. The lineage of Shiratanba and the challenge of Nishibata Masayoshi

The history of Tamba ware is known for the "wildness" of red clay and natural glaze, but from the Edo period onwards, "white Tamba" was born, which attempted to whiten the ware by adjusting the ash glaze. Nishihata Tadashi follows this trend, applying a milky white glaze mainly made of feldspar to selected clay with low iron content, and firing at high temperatures in a wood-fired kiln to achieve a soft white colour. The glaze's expansion coefficient and cooling speed are carefully designed to create fine crazing, highlighting the technical innovation unique to a contemporary artist.

3. Shape and platform: A harmony of practicality and beauty

The bowl forms a gentle arc from the inside to the body, making it surprisingly light to handle. The rounded shape, without any curves, naturally guides the movement of the tea whisk and evens out the foam. The base, on the other hand, reveals the reddish brown color characteristic of Tanba clay, and the outer periphery is carved away on three sides to accentuate its presence. The contrast between the white glaze and the earthenware gives the bowl a sense of tension and also functions as a visual accent.

4. A dialogue between white and brown: colors that stand out at tea ceremonies

The milky white glaze vividly brings out the green of the matcha. In the light brown, the bubbles draw delicate patterns along the craze lines, while in the strong brown, the deep brown and milky white contrast to create a mysterious look like the evening shadows falling on a snowy field. With each use, the tea seeps into the fine crazes, and you can enjoy the process of the color changing over time from light gray to light brown - this is the true joy of Shirotanba.

5. Zen silence and the poetry of wind and snow

The pure white color evokes the idea that "form is emptiness," and the shape of the bowl, free of unnecessary decoration, resonates deeply with the spirit of Zen. At the same time, the bare red clay on the side of the foot contains the energy of the earth, and a balance of stillness and movement, purity and impurity coexist within the bowl. At a tea ceremony, it will bring depth to the guest's mind, allowing them to feel both a sense of calm and the signs of the seasons.

6. A story that changes with time

Over the years, the intricate crazing will take on a brown color, changing the scenery like the light of dusk falling on a snowy surface. Every time you touch it with your palm, the oils from your skin and the humidity in the room will have a subtle effect, causing faint yellows and grays to overlap with the white - this process of "development" is none other than the joy of using this piece for a long time.

The White Tanba Tea Bowl is a vessel that allows you to feel the silence of snow and the breath of the earth in your palm while embracing the history of Tanba soil and fire. Please cultivate and deepen the milky world woven by Nishibata Tadashi's precise calculations and bold firing with the once-in-a-lifetime experience of the tea ceremony.

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