Shigaraki Katakuchi – Sorairo Sky Blue Spouted Matcha Bowl

A clear autumn sky, captured in glaze. This Shigaraki katakuchi (spouted bowl) is wrapped inside and out in a soft, satin-matte sky blue. Up close the surface breaks into a fine, frost-like texture of paler and deeper blues, and inside the bowl it radiates outward from the well like ice crystals forming on still water.

One small moment of drama: a single run of glaze has flowed down toward the foot, pooling into a pale, feather-shaped trail that catches the light. It's the kind of mark no potter can plan, and it gives this bowl a face that is entirely its own.

We selected this piece in person in Shigaraki.

Origin: Shigaraki, Shiga Prefecture, Japan
Form: Katakuchi (spouted bowl)
Glaze: Satin-matte sky blue with fine crystalline texture and a natural glaze run near the foot
Dimensions: 13.0 cm × 7.5 cm H (excluding spout)
Weight: 320 g
Marks: None
Condition: New, handmade — a fine glaze line at the rim, the glaze texture, the glaze run, and small pinholes are inherent to the piece; no chips or cracks
Box: Kraft box

Japan has a centuries-old vocabulary of traditional color names, many drawn from nature. Sorairo (空色), "sky color," names exactly this shade: the gentle, light blue of a clear day. Its neighbor mizuiro (水色), "water color," is the paler blue of a mountain stream.

In the tea room, cool blues like these are a natural fit for the warmer months and for bright autumn mornings, bringing a sense of air and freshness to the table. Whisked matcha against sky blue makes an unusually vivid pairing, green and blue side by side like a meadow under open sky.

Whisk matcha directly in the bowl, then use the spout to pour cleanly over milk or ice for lattes. It also works as a yuzamashi for cooling water before brewing gyokuro or sencha.

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

Matte glazes have a fine, velvety texture; rinsing soon after use keeps the surface clean and bright.

This is the exact piece photographed. Once sold, it will not be restocked.

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