YU RYU SAI Matcha bowl - brown (handcrafted)

diameter: 4.72inch (12cm) height: 2.95inch (7.5cm), standard Matcha bowl size
Traditional Kyo-Yaki (Kyoto Style)
Made by Jihyoue Katoh at Jihyoue Kiln

This Matcha bowl is refined and elaborate work. Two glazes, coated inside and outside the bowl, flow beautifully and blend into exquisite colors. The unique contrast of glaze gives the bowl a fantastic and mysterious aura. This Matcha bowl is beautiful and sublime with its balanced shape and graceful atmosphere.

YU means glaze, RYU means flow, and SAI means decoration in Japanese. As the name of this bowl indicates, two different glazes coat the Matcha bowl. The lower layer of glaze has a strong color. In contrast, the upper layer is milky white. Those glazes are well mixed on the bowl, and create the unique color. The natural flow of the upper layer glaze also beautifully decorates the bowl.

Tremendous technique and prominent skills are required to create the natural flow of glaze inside and outside the bowl. The upper layer glaze, coated around the rim, melts and flows freely during firing in the kiln, depending on the temperature inside the kiln. Mr. Jihyoue Katoh carefully checks the temperature in the kiln, and decreases the temperature to stop its flow in order to create the color contrast between the lower and upper glaze.

Not only the temperature but also the bowl placement in the kiln and the thickness of the upper layer glaze around the rim affect the speed of the glaze flow. The temperature varies depending on the position in which the bowl is placed, and the glaze flows slowly when it is thickly applied. Mr. Jihyoue Katoh, who is immensely skilled, controls all of these various factors carefully, and creates very delicate works, in which no two are alike, and each one is unique. Considering his efforts and his expert techniques, this is quite reasonable in price.

There is a deep, rich brown color along the tip of the glaze flow, which forms a pattern inside and outside the Matcha bowl. This dark brown color is crystallized glaze, which occurs during the firing process, and adds accent to the Matcha bowl. If the glaze is thick, the color will be black or reddish brown, and if it is thin, it will be milky white. That is why the bottom part of this bowl is dark in color.

Unique glaze flow and the color contrast between glazes create a graceful atmosphere. Each Matcha bowl has different expressions, and we Hibiki-an sincerely hope that you will one day find your most cherished Matcha bowl, that will truly enrich your green tea moment.

Specially packaged in a carton 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.)