Shigaraki Chawan – Hakeme Matcha Bowl

Broad sweeps of white slip circle this Shigaraki chawan, dragged across the iron-dark clay in a single confident motion. Where the brush ran dry, the body shows through in streaks of charcoal and deep russet — a frozen record of the potter's hand at the wheel.

The misty gray-white surface is scattered with fine iron speckles, and inside, a quiet brushmark curls toward the well of the bowl like a passing cloud. The coarse, rust-red foot is left completely raw — a bold contrast that grounds the piece in Shigaraki's rugged clay tradition.

Origin: Shigaraki, Shiga Prefecture, Japan
Dimensions: cm × cm H
Weight: g
Clay: Coarse iron-rich Shigaraki stoneware, unglazed foot
Decoration: White slip applied in the hakeme (brushed slip) technique, with natural iron speckling
Condition: New, handmade — variations in the brushwork, speckling, and raw clay surfaces are inherent to the piece

Hakeme (刷毛目) — literally "brush marks" — is the art of sweeping white slip over dark clay with a coarse straw or bristle brush while the piece turns on the wheel. The technique cannot be corrected or repeated: each stroke is final, and the beauty lies in its spontaneity.

Like mishima, hakeme arrived in Japan through Korean Buncheong ware and was quickly embraced by tea masters, who saw in its loose, unforced brushwork the very spirit of wabi — beauty found in imperfection and chance.

This bowl was made in Shigaraki, Shiga Prefecture, where potters have worked the local clay for over 700 years — the longest unbroken tradition among Japan's Six Ancient Kilns.

Shigaraki clay is famously coarse and iron-rich, studded with feldspar and silica that speckle and blister through glaze and slip alike. Here, that character is on full display: the raw foot and dry-brush streaks let the clay itself do much of the talking.

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

Slip-decorated stoneware may deepen slightly in tone with regular tea use — a natural patina long appreciated by tea practitioners.

This is the exact bowl photographed. Every piece in our ceramics collection is one of a kind — once sold, it will not be restocked.

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