Doujime Chawan

Description

If you’re looking for a unique and exceedingly well-crafted traditional matcha bowl to include in your Japanese tea ceremony practice, then this is the chawan for you.

Doujime (胴締) refers to the shape of matcha bowl where the potter creates a slight indent around the middle and is also often known as a “waist type” bowl.

This matcha bowl by Rito Aoshima was fired in a noborigama kiln, which is an ascending Japanese wood-fired kiln that originated in the early 17th century and was an integral part of Japan’s ceramic development. As the heat rises in a noborigama, fine ash is created which covers the ceramic pieces and creates unique and natural variations in the glazes.

The glaze is pearlescent with hare’s fur striations that collect at the bottom of the matcha bowl. In full light, the full array of colors reveal themselves in a near ombre found amidst the present purple, green, and bronze tones. Both the matcha bowl and its glaze are made of clay collected from the surrounding area which is also where the Sugimoto family lives and makes tea. 

As you hold it in your hands you’ll notice the matte glaze feels very soft and smooth, but more surprisingly, you’ll also notice that the weight of the matcha bowl is much lighter than it looks. This is a very special matcha bowl in every aspect--from historical background to maker, materials to form.

This matcha bowl comes in a kiribako (桐箱) made from paulownia wood. The front is painted with the style of the bowl (Doujime), the name of the kiln (Ritougama), and the stamp of the artist, Rito Aoshima. Inside, the bowl is wrapped and protected with a turmeric-dyed cloth as is the traditional style, as well as modern bubble wrap for additional protection.

About the Shitoro-Yaki Teaware

Shitoro-Yaki (志戸呂焼) refers to the pottery style of a small region in southwest Shizuoka Prefecture, dating back to the 12th Century. The center of this style is a town formerly known as Kanaya (金谷), which is also the home of the Sugimoto family. Clay from this area is high in ferric oxides, represented by yellowish and reddish hues in the clay and glazes. Pottery in this style often showcases the color and character of this clay, encouraging us to appreciate rustic simplicity and focus on the subtleties that make every piece unique.

Kobori Enshu, a tea master in the Edo Period (17th Century), loved Shitoro-Yaki and certified it as one of the "Enshu Nana Kama" (7 pottery-styles of Enshu).

About the Artist

Rito Aoshima (青嶋利陶) is a 2nd generation potter, whose father started the current studio in which he works. The studio was created to revitalize the Shitoro-Yaki style and preserve its over 900 year history. The kiln was built as a Noborigama (rising kiln), which has multiple levels staggered vertically to achieve an extremely hot firing temperature. Rito Aoshima studied pottery in Seto (a famous location for pottery), before returning to Shizuoka to study in the Shitoro-Yaki style. Later, he has assumed his father's studio and kiln, and continues to make teaware for tea ceremony, as well as other vessels with a focus on elegance.

*This handmade item belongs to the category of artisanal teaware. Coupons or discounts do not apply.

Please note that each item is exquisitely hand-crafted and unique so the shipped pieces may not exactly match the photo.  

Care Instructions:

• Hand wash only.
• Do not use a harsh scrubber.
• Do not put in the dishwasher or microwave.

SKU:

RITO-CHWN-DOUJI