Shion Tabata, Shigaraki Tea Bowl — 信楽茶碗, 2023, (C26038)
This tea bowl by Shion Tabata uses clay from Shigaraki, Shiga prefecture, and was fired in a wood-fired kiln. Although it shows common features of Shigaraki ware such as white feldspar spots, crevasses caused by small stones, fire marks, and green-ochre natural ash glaze, its evocative appearance and form make for an extraordinary vessel.
I could imagine myself holding this tea bowl on a cold winter day, clutching both sides with cupped hands, closely feeling the warmth of the tea. This tea bowl was made without applied glaze and became hardened and non-porous by being fired at a high temperature (over 1200° Celsius) for a long period of time. Called yakishime, these types of vessels can retain heat at a temperature comfortable to hold. As my lips touch the rim, I would enjoy a smooth, gentle sensation, where the artist carefully sanded the area without diminishing its rugged quality.
After finishing my tea, I would rotate and explore the entire tea bowl, admiring its various landscapes (keshiki). On the front, there is a lush deposit of green-ochre ash glaze, with a brown void tinted by blackened ash. This crescent-shaped area is reminiscent of the moon in the sky or a seashore at night. Other side of the bowl has scorch marks with shades of orange, scarlet, and reddish brown, like a rocky mountain lit by an evening glow. I would close my eyes to feel bumps and holes, thinking of touching earth. Even for a moment, the experience of drinking tea out of this tea bowl would transform my ordinary day into something extraordinary.
Natsu Oyobe
Curator of Asian Art
University of Michigan Museum of Art
2023
