Shigaraki Chawan – Mishima Blossom Matcha Bowl

A field of white blossoms wraps this Shigaraki chawan from rim to foot — dozens of small flowers, each stamped by hand into the clay and inlaid with white slip before firing. No two blossoms sit quite alike, and the pattern drifts and overlaps the way real flowers scatter across a meadow.

Inside, the bowl turns quiet: a soft speckled gray glaze with fine iron flecks, a calm surface made for the green of whisked matcha. The unglazed foot shows the warm, iron-rich Shigaraki clay beneath — a rustic counterpoint to the delicacy of the blossom work.

Origin: Shigaraki, Shiga Prefecture, Japan
Dimensions: cm × cm H
Weight: g
Clay: Iron-rich Shigaraki stoneware, unglazed foot
Decoration: Hand-stamped blossom motif inlaid with white slip (mishima technique)
Interior: Speckled gray glaze with natural iron flecking
Condition: New, handmade — slight irregularities in the stamped pattern and glaze are inherent to the piece

Mishima (三島) is a slip-inlay technique in which patterns are stamped or carved into leather-hard clay, then filled with contrasting white slip and scraped back to reveal the design. Each blossom on this bowl was impressed individually before the slip was applied — a slow, deliberate process that cannot be rushed or replicated.

The technique traces its roots to Korean Buncheong ware, beloved by Japanese tea masters since the 16th century and absorbed into the Japanese ceramic tradition, where it remains a hallmark of refined tea ware.

Fired in Shigaraki, Shiga Prefecture — home to one of Japan's Six Ancient Kilns and a pottery town for more than seven centuries. Shigaraki's coarse, feldspar-rich local clay gives its wares their characteristic warmth and presence, qualities long treasured in the tea room.

Where much Shigaraki ware celebrates raw, unadorned clay, this bowl shows the region's quieter, more decorative side — tradition expressed through patient handwork rather than fire alone.

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

The slip-inlaid surface is durable for daily use — with time and tea, the bowl will develop a gentle patina unique to its owner.

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.