Yamamoto Taizō – Shigaraki Bowl, Copper & Ash Matcha Bowl

A storm in miniature. On this bowl by Shigaraki-trained potter Yamamoto Taizō, a flush of copper red drifts into slate blue and pale celadon, all beneath a snowfall of white ash speckle and a fine web of crackle. The colors pool and deepen toward the well, where the glaze gathers into a quiet blue-green pond.

The underside stays raw and elemental — crusted glaze breaking over dark clay around a flat-trimmed foot, the artist's mark incised beside it. Every surface records the fire.

Sized for daily life, it makes a wonderful casual chawan for whisked matcha, and is equally at home holding morning rice, yogurt, or tea. We selected this piece in person in Shigaraki.

Yamamoto Taizō (山本泰三) came to clay the long way — first an auto mechanic, then a graphic designer, until at 27 he committed to pottery and moved to Shigaraki. After six years of training he established his own kiln, and today works in Takashima, Shiga Prefecture, showing at the Shigaraki artists' markets.

His stated hope for his work is simple: that each piece becomes a quiet, comfortable presence in everyday life. This bowl is that philosophy, fired in clay.

Artist: Yamamoto Taizō (山本泰三), Shiga Prefecture
Glaze: Copper red and ash over stoneware, with crackle, white ash speckle, and blue-green pooling
Dimensions: 12.4 cm × 7.6 cm H
Weight: 282 g
Marks: Artist's incised mark beside the foot
Condition: New, handmade — crackle, ash deposits, glaze drips, and raw clay surfaces are inherent to the piece
Box: Kraft box

Shigaraki is famous as one of Japan's Six Ancient Kilns — but it is no museum. The valley remains a working pottery town, home to independent artists, shared kilns, and one of Japan's liveliest ceramic artist markets each spring.

Pieces like this one belong to that living tradition: contemporary makers drawing on seven centuries of local clay and fire to make vessels for the way we eat and drink now.

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

Crackle-glazed ware naturally develops subtle tea-toned lines within the crackle over years of use — scenery that makes the bowl increasingly your own.

This is the exact bowl 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.