KIIRABO - HARU no MOEGI (handcrafted Matcha Bowl)

diameter: 5.11 inch (13cm) height: 3.15 inch (8cm), standard Matcha bowl size
Sophisticated Shigaraki-Yaki (Shigaraki pottery)
Made by Eizan Okuda
Measurements are approximate because each item is formed by hand.

This kind of Matcha bowl is called IRABO. IRABO ware is a type of traditional stoneware and it was introduced to Japan around the 16th or 17th century. One of its features is a rough surface texture which is made by sand mixed into the clay. We call rough texture IRAIRA (ZARAZARA) and it is said that this is the origin of the name of this type of Matcha bowl.

This Matcha bowl is made in the kiln of Shigaraki, which is one of the six major old Japanese kilns. The texture of the clay is the most essential characteristic of Shigaraki Yaki ware, creating its natural, simple style. Therefore, you can feel the unique texture of the clay itself.

There are some types of IRABO. KIIRABO is a kind of IRABO which features yellow glaze. KI is yellow in Japanese. HARU is spring and MOEGI is the color of sprouting grass and young leaves in Japanese. The color is similar to spring green in English.

The shape of this Matcha bowl is unique. It is called MASUGATA which is one of the traditional shapes. MASU was originally a square wooden box used to measure rice in Japan a long time ago. However, we use MASU for drinking SAKE these days.

The bottom of this Matcha bowl is roughly shaved away, and you can see the feldspar in the clay, which adds to the rough and natural surface texture. On the upper part of the bowl is ROKUROME, which is a trace left by the artisan’s fingers or a paddle, when the bowl is formed on the pottery wheel.

While imagining the completed form, Eizan Okuda, who is the artisan of this work, shapes and characterizes it, considering the usability, thickness of the glaze, and so on. He uses the deep green glaze BEEDORO, which is one of the most traditional glazes of Shigaraki Yaki.

BEEDORO glaze is ideal, not only for its visual appearance, but also because it makes the rim of the bowl quite smooth against one’s lips while drinking tea. The surface of this Matcha bowl is rough, so Eizan Okuda applies the glaze here to make it comfortable to use. He soaks the rim of the Matcha bowl in the glaze, then tips the Matcha bowl to adjust the flow of the glaze. The shiny deep green glaze creates a beautiful spring atmosphere.

The bottom of this Matcha bowl is brown, like the ground in winter. The yellow and green colors remind us of the beginning of spring.

Please enjoy your favorite green tea with KIIRABO - HARU no MOEGI which evokes the spirit of nature and of the earth itself.

Specially packaged in a wooden box.
Lead-free. Made in Japan.
(Please note that each piece is unique due to the techniques employed by the craftsman. There are natural variations in each piece.)