Oribe Stone-Impressed Matcha Bowl

In this matcha bowl, Iga ware artisan Fukushima Kazuhiro pursues a form that carries the weight of carved earth. Its irregular silhouette and textured walls lend it a sculptural beauty, a presence that feels both intentional and elemental. In hand, the bowl retains the density of its clay origins, offering a quiet strength within its asymmetry.

The bowl is made through kurinuki, a technique in which the outer form is shaped from a solid block of clay before the interior is patiently hollowed out. Because the clay must rest and firm between stages, the work proceeds slowly, often taking two to three days before carving can resume. Fukushima worked the sides with stone, leaving an uneven, tactile surface that contrasts with the smoothness of wheel-thrown pieces, imprinting the clay with both texture and time.

Multiple glazes, including the deep green Oribe glaze infused with copper oxide, flow across the surface. Areas of bare clay stand in contrast to the richly glazed sections, where tones shift from emerald green to earthen brown, and where silver crystallizations have appeared within the basin. These unpredictable details are not erased but embraced, reflecting the artists respect for the living nature of fire and mineral.

The bowl carries a raw vitality: direct and organic. Fukushima channels Oribes spirit of innovation into a form that feels timeless and singular, allowing the vessel to speak with its own grounded voice in the hand of the beholder.