Shigaraki Katakuchi – Two-Tone Spouted Matcha Bowl

A horizon line in glaze. This Shigaraki katakuchi — a spouted bowl — is divided cleanly in two: a pale, misty gray-white above, a deep charcoal-green below, meeting in a level line that circles the bowl like dusk settling over a field. A single pale drip crosses the dark band, and the trimmed foot shows warm red Shigaraki clay beneath.

The interior is glazed in smooth, stone-gray — a calm surface that lets whisked matcha take center stage — and the small pulled spout gives the form a quiet asymmetry, its teardrop silhouette shifting as the bowl turns.

We selected this piece in person in Shigaraki.

Origin: Shigaraki, Shiga Prefecture, Japan
Form: Katakuchi (spouted bowl)
Decoration: Kakewake (divided glaze) — pale ash white over charcoal green
Dimensions: 13.9 cm × 8.3 cm H (including spout)
Weight: 330 g
Marks: Impressed maker's seal within the foot (unattributed)
Condition: New, handmade — glaze drips, speckling, and the exposed clay foot are inherent to the piece
Box: Kraft box

Kakewake (掛け分け) — "divided glazing" — is the art of dipping or pouring two glazes so they share a single vessel, meeting in a clean line or a soft overlap. It sounds simple; it isn't. Each glaze moves differently in the fire, and holding a crisp border between them takes an experienced hand.

Here the division does the composing: light over dark, sky over earth. Where the pale glaze breaks its own border in one thin drip, the bowl gains the small imperfection that tea taste treasures.

The katakuchi form earns its keep in the modern matcha kitchen: whisk directly in the bowl, then pour cleanly over milk or ice for lattes without drips or waste. It works equally well as a yuzamashi for cooling water when brewing sencha, or as a serving bowl with sculptural presence.

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

The exposed clay of the foot may deepen slightly in tone with use — natural character, not a flaw.

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.