Kohiki Haikaburi Tea Ceremony Bowl by Wada Tōzan

Description

Kohiki is a type of high-fired stoneware developed in Japan by Korean potters in the 1500s.  It was used extensively by tea ceremony practitioners of the time who found its simple, rustic charm well suited to the principles of chanoyu tea ceremony.  The glaze is characterized by flashes of pastel orange and pink which form during reduction firing - a narrow window in which oxygen is sapped out of its ash and clay slip.

Haikaburi means literally "ash covered."  It is a technique which involves placing pots in or around the ash pit of a kiln that has already been fired for several hours.  As more wood is burned, ash builds up to the face of the pot and fuses with the clay body.  With a failure rate of well over 60 percent, it is a very hit-and-miss technique, but pots that can survive the grueling conditions around the pit display an unrefined energy like no other type of ceramic.

This kohiki haikaburi tea ceremony bowl by Wada Tōzan is one of those proud survivors.  It was fired at Ōizumi-gama - the Wada family's noborigama climbing kiln.  At 1,250°C (2,300°F) degrees, it was placed around the ash pit and blasted with wave after wave of red pine and cedar embers, each one adding another layer of texture and color until the bowl became buried on its side.  What arose from the ashes is a true one-of-a-kind piece, blessed with incidental details which could never be reproduced exactly.

The bowl is deftly formed from a grainy clay which is rough yet pleasing to the touch.  It exudes a raw energy that naturally draws viewers in closer to ponder the dynamics of its creation.

A wooden presentation box will be custom made to order and signed by the artist.  Delivery time for this item is 2 weeks.

A fukusa display cloth is included.

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