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In the 14th century, shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu promoted the growth of tea around Kyoto's Uji
district, and this began a long and deep tea culture that is still
thriving today. Local artisans, well attuned
to the aesthetics of tea, produce utensils of the highest quality,
including tea bowls, whisks, and cast iron wares. As well, "Uji
tea" has become the appellation for superior
matcha - the
powdered type used for tea ceremony.
Hailing from this region so steeped in tea is ceramic artist Kosei Tamaya.
Since establishing his kiln in 1998, he has devoted himself to the
production of pottery and porcelain tea wares and works almost
exclusively in copper-based glazes. The reason for this is
simple: few elements can produce the kind of vibrant reds that copper can.
And since red and green are complimentary colors, copper-glazed chawan
(tea bowls), in the artist's view, strike the most sublime harmony
with the verdant color of whipped matcha.
This tea ceremony bowl by Kosei Tamaya is done in a lustrous glaze called
shinsha-yu, or "cinnabar glaze". Imbued with the colors
of fall, it is as vibrant as the maple leaves which cover Japan's
mountainsides in autumn. Precisely formed from a blend of porcelain and clay, called
hanjiki in Japanese, the bowl resonates beautifully when tapped on
the rim. When filled with matcha, it gains its full
character and is truly a sight to behold.
A fukusa (display cloth) is included.
special care instructions |
