- Type
- Setoguro
- Details
- A bowl for drinking matcha. Kairagi covers the whole exterior; the inside is a smooth black. A small, light Setoguro chawan suited to usucha.
- Materials
- Mogusa clay (rare clay)
- Size
- φ116 mm
- Height
- 90 mm
- Weight
- 195 g
- Texture
- Outside, the fine ridges of kairagi meet the fingers like dry stone under the palm. Inside it is smooth, and being small the bowl is light enough to rest in one hand.
Features of this piece
A Setoguro bowl bearing the title 墨巌, ink and rock. The whole exterior is covered in kairagi: the glaze crinkled into fine ridges and hollows that run across the faces of the bowl like the worn stone rim of an old inkstone. In the light each ridge catches a small gleam, and every face carries its own pattern of shadow.
The rim spreads gently to four sides, so the lip meets the fingers differently wherever the bowl is held. Inside, the texture falls away to a smooth black. Like the well of an inkstone holding freshly ground ink, it returns the light quietly, and the green of usucha shows clearly against it.
At the foot the glaze stops in a thick edge and the unglazed clay spreads beneath, plain as stone before it is worked into an inkstone. Small and light in the hand, comfortable even held in one, this chawan suits usucha in any season, from practice to a formal gathering.
Expected to ship within 10 business days from the date of order
Choose options
Setoguro
One from one kiln
Setoguro is renowned for its captivating, deep black color. Achieving this beautiful black involves using a glaze made from Oniita (iron-rich clay) mixed with ash. The piece is fired at high temperatures and then removed from the kiln while still hot, followed by rapid cooling—a technique known as "hikidashi-guro." This process was employed over 450 years ago and produced the elusive "Setoguro" ware for only about 30 years in the world of tea. In the tea ceremony, Setoguro is revered for its unique aesthetic value within the Japanese principles of wabi-sabi. By extracting the piece from a kiln over 1,100 degrees Celsius and cooling it quickly, the piece transforms into a deep black while producing beautiful cracking sounds (kan-nyu) as it cools. Only up to three pieces can be fired in one kiln at a time, and achieving a satisfying black is extremely challenging. It is said that getting one satisfactory piece from a single kiln firing is considered a success.
Rest for the heart - Setoguro
In a busy life, finding time just for yourself is harder than it seems. That is why a pause to stop and whisk a bowl of tea can quietly settle the heart. The black of Setoguro is a black that draws the light deep inside. Held in the hands, its depth seems to still even the noise around you. Whisked matcha turns a clear, vivid green against this black, leaving a little space to breathe, for the eyes and for the heart. The glossy black rests softly in the hand, and its gentleness at the lips loosens whatever has been held tight. A Setoguro chawan that Kato Takaya brought into being one bowl at a time. For a quiet moment, a little apart from the rush of the day.
Suitable for
Care
For cleaning, please hand wash using a soft sponge or cloth. Avoid using abrasive sponges.
Please note
