Yohen Blue Tea Bowl

Bizen is a land of pottery with a long history of over a thousand years. The clay of Bizen shows a different impression every time it is fired in the kiln, giving us fresh surprises even now.

This tea bowl by Takashi Baba, an artist walking the path of his own pottery in Bizen, has an individuality that makes them instantly recognizable as his work, and even gives a feeling overwhelming power. The stunning jet-black luster flowing from the rim of the tea bowl is an expression that Takashi has achieved through his research into the traditional Bizen technique of applying clay with a high iron content called Inbe-te. The striking blue streaks that rise from the base were arise from a unique clay blend all his own. Effects that appear on works created in a nobori-gama are unpredictable, but his unflagging efforts to be very particular about the clay and confront the flames has produced works with vivid colors that are hard to believe are unglazed.

Takashi specializes in sculptural forms and has created this work where the smooth and natural roundness of the bowl truly accentuates the boldness of the colors. It is a tea bowl that seems to reflect his way of life, aiming for new expressions while following the techniques developed through his predecessors’ years of efforts.