Seto Kuro Chawan by Nojiri Soujitsu — Gaunugama Black Tea Bowl with Wooden Box

A Seto Kuro tea bowl from Gaunugama, hand-formed by Nojiri Soujitsu. The iron-rich black glaze pools unevenly across the surface — rough, volcanic, demanding nothing and offering everything. This is Momoyama tradition held in the palm.

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【 Basic Details 】
• Artist: Nojiri Soujitsu (野尻宗實) / Gaunugama (臥雲窯)
• Type: Seto Kuro Chawan (瀬戸黒茶碗)
• Dimensions: Approx. diameter 12.5 cm, height 9 cm
• Comes with original wooden storage box (共箱)
• Condition: Good antique condition consistent with age and use

【 Cultural Insight 】
Seto Kuro — "Seto Black" — emerged in the Momoyama period (late 16th century) as one of the foundational wabi kiln styles. The defining technique is abrupt removal from the kiln at peak temperature, quenching the fired glaze into a dense, matte-to-irregular black surface. Where Raku black is smooth and intimate, Seto Kuro is geological: craggy, textured, primordial. This bowl carries that lineage. The exposed clay at the foot — white against the dark — is not a flaw but a mark of honest firing.

【 Deep Dive 】
Nojiri Soujitsu works from Gaunugama (臥雲窯), a kiln dedicated to the classical aesthetics of Momoyama-era stoneware. The name "gaunugama" — cloud-resting kiln — signals an intentional withdrawal from commercial ceramics into contemplative craft. The iron-rich glaze on this bowl has fired with characteristic variation: lustrous pooling near the rim, rough crystalline texture at mid-body, and an exposed clay collar at the foot-ring. The interior holds a shallow, polished well — the surface that meets the matcha. In hand, the weight grounds you.

【 Japanese 】
臥雲窯・野尻宗實による瀬戸黒茶碗。鉄分豊富な釉薬が窯変し、粗い肌と溶けた黒の対比が桃山陶の本質を体現します。高台周辺の白土露出は正直な焼きの証。共箱付き。

🔹 [ SHIPPING & PACKAGING ]
• Dispatch: Within 1-6 business days
• Carrier: Japan Post EMS / UPS (with tracking)
• Packaging: Carefully wrapped with protective materials