Glazed stoneware・5 Day Wood-fired

This bowl is hand-thrown with Taiwanese clay mixed with iron oxide particles. It received a light glaze that expressed in tones of orange and burnt umber, and fired in a wood-burning kiln for 5 days.

The iron oxide particles express as lighter colored dimples on the umber surface of this bowl. The concentration of particles is high, and both the interior and exterior is pock-mocked. One side of the bowl was exposed to higher firing temperatures, and appears glossy with a small amount of crackling. The opposite side is the color of aged copper. Where the bowl is unglazed - at the base and on the foot - the same particles express as rust colored flecks on the gray-brown clay.

This bowl is gently curved at the base, tapering to an unglazed foot. The artist’s signature is stamped on the base.

About Tea Bowls

In Japan, tea bowls are traditionally used to drink whisked powdered tea (matcha). In Taiwan, they are often used to drink loose leaf tea. We've adopted this latter approach. It's quite simple - and works wonders on most of our teas.

Simply warm a tea bowl, add tea leaves, and add water. We suggest using 1 to 2 grams less tea than our normal recommended dosage, and filling the bowl 2/3 of the way to the top. Adding a slow steady stream of the water over the leaves also help the leaves settle to the bottom. Steep until leaves have just opened. Sip, and add more water if necessary.

Drinking tea from a bowl is both casual, and elegant. It's also a very personal and comforting experience.

Approximate dimensions: 75mm tall, 105mm diameter, 290ml volume・Artist: 廖國華