Yobitsugi Tea Bowl

Shigaraki, Oribe, Shino, and Ki-Seto. In “Yobitsugi Tea Bowl,” a piece hand-crafted by ceramic artist Katsunori Sawa, one can savor the captivating landscapes of all four types of ceramics in a single tea bowl. The richness of Shigaraki, fired in a wood kiln, and the semi-transparency of Ki-Seto blend harmoniously with the light brushwork of Oribe and Shino, while the gold seams act as accents, eliciting admiration from connoisseurs.

Using lacquer and gold, “yobitsugi” combines fragments of different ceramics to repair a damaged vessel. Originally a method for repairing ceramics, people eventually found a new beauty in the harmonious connection of separate materials through the golden seams. In the realm of creative endeavors, deliberately breaking a work into pieces and then putting together fragments from different works can be simultaneously the most destructive and the most creative act for an artist. In Katsunori’s yobitsugi works, where the distinctive scenes of each are carefully joined together with the overall balance in mind, one can find the captivating essence of his ceramic art coming together.