- Type
- Setoguro
- Details
- A bowl for drinking matcha. A Setoguro chawan whose faces are covered in kairagi like tree bark, recalling a great tree against the night sky. For koicha and the winter tea room.
- Materials
- Mogusa clay (rare clay)
- Size
- φ141mm
- Height
- 116 mm
- Weight
- 439g
- Texture
- Outside, the grain of the kairagi meets the fingers with a dry roughness, like touching the bark of a tree. Inside it is smooth. Cupped in both hands, the swell of each face passes into the palms.
Features of this piece
A great tree standing against the night sky: that is the scene this Setoguro bowl brings to mind. The whole exterior is kairagi, the glaze crinkled fine like the bark of an old tree, and the several faces of the bowl rise like the swell of a trunk. In the light, each crinkle catches a small gleam, so that stars seem to flicker within the black.
The rim undulates gently, rising and falling like the tips of branches. Inside, the crinkling gives way to a black as glossy as leaves wet with night dew. Whisk matcha in it and the green stands out vividly against that night black.
At the foot the glaze pools thick and stops, and in one place the unglazed clay shows through, like the base of a trunk. Held in both hands, the swell of the faces and the grain of the kairagi press back, with the weight of resting a hand on a tree. A large chawan for koicha and the winter tea room, and for the quiet that begins beneath a tree at night.
Expected to ship within 10 business days from the date of order
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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 wash by hand using a soft sponge or cloth. Avoid using abrasive sponges or cleaning agents.
Please note
