Okamoto Shozo Kasatori Kiln Ox Motif Matcha Bowl with Original Box

Against the ash-grey ground, the ox appears in relief — not drawn but pressed, the zodiac animal emerging from the clay itself, its presence declared without urgency. The red foot ring grounds the piece: Kasatori's signature, the exposed earth beneath the glaze.

This matcha bowl (chawan) was made by Okamoto Shozo (岡本彰造) of Kasatori Kiln (笠取窯), a studio associated with the distinctive ash-grey glaze and characteristic red foot ring visible in this piece. The form is a standard cylindrical chawan — suited to all-season use — with gently irregular walls from the tebineri (hand-building) process. The exterior carries a speckled ash-grey glaze with darker iron spotting throughout, creating a surface with depth and variation. Set into the lower exterior, an ox (ushi) motif has been impressed in the clay — the zodiac animal rendered in low relief, the glaze pooling slightly around its contours and deepening the form. The interior glaze is smooth, lighter grey-celadon, showing the potter's mark impressed at the base through the glaze. The exposed red clay foot ring is a consistent characteristic of Kasatori Kiln work. Diameter approximately 11.5 cm, height approximately 8.2 cm. Original tomobako with inscription.

Kasatori Kiln's approach belongs to the broad tradition of Japanese studio tea ceramics that draws on ash glaze and natural surface effects — the aesthetic territory adjacent to Shigaraki and Iga, where the kiln's atmosphere participates directly in the final surface. The ushi (ox) motif connects this piece to the practice of eto-mono (zodiac-themed objects) in tea culture, where the host's selection of a zodiac vessel marks the year and acknowledges the passage of time as a subject worthy of attention in the tea room.

Okamoto Shozo's authorship of this piece places it within a tradition of named-studio practice: the kiln as identity, the signature as the meeting of maker and tradition. The impressed ox does not decorate — it annotates. This is a vessel that knows what year it comes from.

The bowl presents in sound condition. The glaze surface shows the intentional speckle and variation characteristic of ash-glaze technique. The foot ring is clean and the impressed artist's seal on the interior base is legible. The wooden box shows evidence of age consistent with proper storage.

【日本語説明】
岡本彰造・笠取窯の茶盌です。共箱付き。直径約11.5cm、高さ約8.2cm。灰褐色の釉に丑の干支文様が施された茶碗。赤い高台が特徴的な笠取窯の作品。茶道具として使用可能な状態です。

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