Combed Oribe Green Chawan – Crackle & Persimmon Glaze

Three colors, one quiet harmony. The upper body of this chawan is glazed in a warm, crackled ivory, its fine web of crazing running across the surface like the veins of an old leaf. Below, a band of deep Oribe green wraps the lower body, laid over clay that was combed with diagonal strokes before glazing, so the green pools and lightens across every ridge like wind moving through a field.

Inside, the bowl turns to a glossy persimmon orange that glows against whisked matcha, with soft violet tones gathering in the well. The rim is gently undulating, the walls slightly squared by hand, and the pale, unglazed foot carries a round impressed seal.

This bowl came to us from a private collector who was carefully paring down a long-held collection of tea ware.

Origin: Japan (maker and kiln unidentified)
Glaze: Crackled ivory upper body; Oribe-style green over combed (kushime) decoration on the lower body; glossy persimmon-orange interior
Form: Gently squared walls with undulating rim
Dimensions: 11.7 cm × 8.0 cm H
Weight: 294 g
Clay: Pale buff body, unglazed foot
Marks: Round impressed maker's seal on the foot (unattributed)
Provenance: Private collection
Condition: Pre-owned, unused, excellent condition
Box: Kraft box

Kushime (櫛目), literally "comb marks," is a decorating technique in which the potter drags a comb or toothed tool across the soft clay before firing. Once glaze is applied, it settles into the grooves and thins over the ridges, so a single color becomes a field of light and dark.

Paired here with a rich Oribe-style green, the effect is especially lively. The green, named for the tea master Furuta Oribe whose bold taste shaped Japanese ceramics in the late 16th century, deepens to near-teal in the combed valleys and brightens to grass green on the peaks. Turn the bowl and the band seems to ripple.

The fine network of lines across the ivory glaze is kannyu (貫入), crackle formed as the glaze and clay cool and contract at different rates. In Japan it is valued, not hidden: over years of use, tea slowly settles into the lines, deepening them into a pattern that records the bowl's life. Tea people call this process "raising" a bowl.

Before use, rinse the bowl briefly with warm water. Hand wash gently with water only and a soft cloth; avoid detergent, dishwashers, microwaves, and soaking. Let it air-dry completely before storing.

The crackled glaze will continue to darken gently with use. This is a natural, prized part of the bowl's character.

This is the exact bowl photographed, a single piece from a private collection. Once sold, it will not be restocked.

Carefully packed and shipped directly from our Kyoto studio via Japan Post EMS, fully tracked and insured.