Shuchi-yaki Tea Bowl by Sawada Yoshihiro - Senka Kiln Lavender Chawan

Experience authentic Japanese regional pottery with this Shuchi-yaki Tea Bowl by Sawada Yoshihiro. This Senka Kiln Chawan serves as a Kyoto Prefecture Ceramic and Lavender Glaze artwork, featuring soft pinkish-gray tones and fine dark speckles—a must-have for any tea practitioner seeking Japanese Pottery and contemplative wabi-sabi aesthetics.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

🔹 [ BASIC DETAILS ]

• Artist: Sawada Yoshihiro (澤田佳宏)
• Kiln: Senka Kiln (仙果窯)
• Technique: Shuchi-yaki (須知焼) with lavender-pink glaze
• Era: Contemporary (early 2000s)
• Origin: Kyoto Prefecture (Funai/Kyotango area), Japan
• Dimensions: Diameter approx. 12.7 cm × Height approx. 7 cm (5.0" × 2.8")
• Box: Tomobako signed “須知焼 茶盌” and “仙果窯” with red seal
• Condition: Excellent – no cracks or chips

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

🔹 [ CULTURAL & ARTISTIC INSIGHT ]

Shuchi-yaki represents one of Kyoto Prefecture’s lesser-known ceramic traditions, rooted in the rural kilns of the Funai and Kyotango regions. Unlike the imperial refinement of Kyoto city wares, Shuchi pottery carries the quiet strength of regional practice—unassuming, grounded, and shaped by artisans working outside metropolitan attention. Senka Kiln, under Sawada Yoshihiro’s guidance, honors this heritage while cultivating a distinctive voice through glaze chemistry and form.

This chawan demonstrates Sawada’s approach to color and texture: the lavender-pink glaze blooms unevenly across the surface, punctuated by dark speckles that suggest iron-rich clay interaction. The wide mouth and gentle slope recall ido tea bowl proportions, yet the execution remains entirely personal. Wheel marks trace the making process, their rhythm visible as horizontal grooves that hold tea and light in equal measure.

*"Lavender dusk settles into clay. The wheel’s memory holds what words cannot."*

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

🔹 [ DEEP-DIVE COMMENTARY ]

**Shuchi-yaki Regional Identity**: Shuchi pottery emerged from Kyoto Prefecture’s northern clay deposits, developed by artisans serving local tea culture rather than courtly patronage. This bowl reflects functional elegance without ostentation, prioritizing tactile warmth over visual spectacle.

**Glaze Chemistry**: The lavender-pink coloration arises from iron and manganese interaction in oxidation firing, with dark speckles indicating localized reduction zones or clay inclusions. Each speckle placement is unrepeatable—a signature of atmospheric unpredictability.

**Ido-Style Proportions**: The wide mouth and open form reference Korean ido tea bowls, historically prized for their unpretentious strength. Sawada interprets this through a contemporary lens: gentle slope, modest foot ring, accessible gesture.

**Tomobako Authentication**: The inscription’s simplicity—“須知焼 茶盌” followed by kiln mark—reflects regional ceramic culture where potter identity emerges through work rather than elaborate titling.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

🔹 [ 日本語解説 ]

【基本情報】
• 作家：澤田佳宏
• 窯元：仙果窯
• 技法：須知焼、ラベンダーピンク釉
• 時代：現代（2000年代初頭）
• 産地：京都府（船井・京丹後地域）
• 寸法：口径約12.7cm × 高さ約7cm
• 付属：共箱（「須知焼 茶盌」・「仙果窯」落款）
• 状態：良好

【解説】
須知焼は京都府北部の地方窯として発展した伝統を持ち、都市の洗練とは異なる素朴な力強さを特徴とします。仙果窯の澤田佳宏はこの系譜を受け継ぎながら、独自の釉薬表現を追求しています。本作は薄紫から淡桃色の地に黒い斑点が全体に散在し、鉄分豊富な土との反応による自然な発色が見られます。口径の広い井戸形の穏やかな傾斜は、輿轆目が残る表面とあいまって手仕事の温かみを伝えます。

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

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

*Lavender dusk settles into clay, holding silence where tea will rest.*