Pale Celadon White Chawan – Iron Stripe

Quiet, balanced, and striking in its simplicity. This chawan is glazed in a soft white with a faint celadon-green tint, flecked with fine dark speckles and small pinholes that give the surface the texture of fresh snow on stone. A single tapering stripe of bare, iron-dark clay runs from the rim down the side of the bowl, crossing over the lip to finish as a small triangle inside.

The rim flares gently outward, the glaze pools a pale sea-green in the well, and the unglazed foot shows the rich red-brown clay beneath, trimmed in neat concentric steps. A small incised signature sits just above the foot.

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: Speckled white with a pale celadon tint, with one unglazed stripe of bare clay running from rim to lower body
Form: Gently flared rim; trimmed foot
Dimensions: 12.5 cm × 8.8 cm H
Weight: 326 g
Clay: Iron-rich red-brown stoneware, unglazed foot
Marks: Incised signature above the foot (unattributed)
Provenance: Private collection
Condition: Pre-owned, unused, excellent condition
Box: Kraft box

Japanese aesthetics place great value on ma (間), the meaningful space or pause between things. In a garden it is the raked gravel around a single stone; in music, the silence between notes. Ma is not emptiness for its own sake, but the space that gives everything else its shape.

This bowl is a lovely example. By leaving just one narrow band of clay unglazed, the potter turns a plain white bowl into a composition: the dark stripe draws the eye, divides the surface, and makes the white feel calmer and wider around it. It also gives the bowl a clear front (shōmen), the face you would turn toward a guest.

The pale interior shows the true color of your matcha, while the small triangle of dark clay at the rim adds a single accent beside the foam. The generous depth and flared mouth make the bowl comfortable for whisking and drinking.

Hand wash with warm water and a soft cloth. Avoid dishwashers, microwaves, and abrasive scrubbing. Dry fully before storing.

The bare clay stripe and foot may slowly deepen in tone with use, and pale glazes can take on faint tea tones over time. Rinse soon after whisking to keep the white bright.

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.