A bowl slightly off-centre, a glaze that runs, clay left raw at the foot: in Japan, these irregularities are not flaws. They are often what gives a piece its charm.
An aesthetic born with the tea ceremony
From the 16th century, tea masters turned away from the perfect pieces imported from China and preferred simpler bowls made in Japan. They sought a sober beauty, close to nature, often summed up by the expression wabi-sabi: a taste for simplicity, the patina of time and the impermanent.
When the firing decides
Some ceramics leave a great deal to the fire. In Bizen, pieces are fired unglazed in wood kilns: the ash that settles during firing creates marks and sheens that can never be reproduced exactly. In Shigaraki, clay dotted with small light grains gives pieces a rough texture. Each firing leaves a different trace.
To the touch
The tea ceremony appeals to all the senses, and touch holds a special place. You take the bowl in both hands, feel its weight, the warmth through the wall, the relief of the glaze under your fingers. An irregular piece is also discovered this way.
At home, every day
This aesthetic is found today in much everyday Japanese tableware: speckled glazes, drips, crackle, a foot left as raw brown clay, natural variations from one piece to another. Find them among our bowls, teacups and matcha bowls.
