[Limited] RENZAN (handcrafted Matcha Bowl) Reviews

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Author	Monica Miller (United States)
Review	I’ve been pondering on this matcha bowl for several days now. It’s very well done piece of skilled artistry. I have a traditional Raku bowl, this one is a ‘sophisticated’ Raku bowl, which means it veers in a more artistic direction rather than staying within the traditional boundaries. I would have to say that this bowl is more stunning in person, which is not surprising. Size: This bowl has a diameter of 4.75” wide, by about 3.75 tall. It stands rather impressive and looks larger than this measurement. I think this is because the sides are so straight, it gives the illusion that it is taller than it is. It feels great in the hands and is quite stunning to look at. It also isn’t completely round at the top. It has a very slight elliptical look at the top and the whole structure has a bit of a ‘lean’ from bottom to top. You can see it on the website. The Bowl: What I like about this bowl is the different use of the black Raku glaze and the different patterns and carvings on the bowl. Only a truly skilled master can work with all that is ‘going on’ within the limitations of the space and control the glaze so it goes where intended. This is supposed to be a black bowl, with a white and blue (cobalt) added to look like clouds. Yet, within that ‘white’ there are so many other colors. The white, cobalt and the black of the glaze meld together during the firing to create other tones and other patterns and not just at the top. Mine has a look like granite near the top, going all around the rim, blue and white areas, speckled areas, look more closely and there are other ‘surprises’. This is all set among carved vertical lines that add dimensionality and texture as you very comfortably hold this bowl to drink from it. There is a crackle glaze effect as well at the top and the dripped glaze near the foot has tones of cobalt that have managed to peek behind the black glaze. Inside, the bowl looks black, but if you look very closely, you can see some of the clay peeking through the black forming other patterns. Overall: This bowl is stunning, but it goes beyond that. This bowl represents talent, skill, and artistry and a ‘spin’ on traditional Japanese culture to modernize it a bit. There is a look about it that transcends time and looks both historical and modern at the same time. This is Japan at its finest, a beautiful bowl created by a very skilled master. Enjoy!
Rating	Very bad... Bad... Very bad... Ordinary... Good... 5 of 5 Stars!
Date	December 29, 2021

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