– Tea bowl featuring masterful itchin slip-trail decoration across multiple geometric registers – Thousands of hand-piped dots in yellow, white, and coral creating pointillist bands – Exuberant mingei-inspired aesthetic combining traditional technique with contemporary playfulness Summary: A tea bowl by Kurihara Setsuo demonstrating virtuosic command of itchin, the Japanese slip-trail technique. The piece showcases extraordinary surface decoration organised in horizontal bands: carved vertical fluting beneath warm amber glaze at the rim, a central band erupting in thousands of tiny raised dots in yellow, white, and coral against dark ground, and triangular geometric motifs at the base. Each dot and line was hand-piped through a fine-tipped applicator whilst the clay remained leather-hard – a process demanding both technical precision and artistic confidence. The result is joyful, energetic, and unmistakably handmade, embodying the mingei folk-art spirit whilst pushing decorative possibilities into contemporary territory. Itchin refers to the technique of piping liquid clay – called slip – onto the surface of leather-hard pottery through a fine-tipped applicator, much like decorating a cake with icing. The Japanese term derives from the name of the tool itself: a rubber bulb attached to a narrow metal or bamboo tube that allows controlled release of slip. The potter fills the bulb with coloured slip, then squeezes gently whilst moving the tip across the surface to create raised lines, dots, or more complex patterns. Because the slip is applied to unfired clay, it bonds with the body during firing and becomes integral to the ceramic rather than sitting atop like painted decoration. The technique requires exceptional hand-eye coordination and steady nerves. Unlike brush painting where mistakes can be wiped away, slip-trail decoration is immediate and unforgiving – once piped, the raised slip cannot be removed without damaging the surface. The consistency of the slip must be perfect: too thick and it clogs the applicator; too thin and it spreads or sags. The clay body must be at precisely the right moisture level: too wet and the slip merges with the surface; too dry and it fails to bond. Creating thousands of individual dots in neat rows, as Kurihara has done here, demands rhythmic precision sustained over hours of concentrated work. This chawan demonstrates itchin at its most ambitious. The bowl is divided into four distinct horizontal registers, each employing different decorative strategies. The uppermost section features vertical fluting – parallel grooves carved into the leather-hard clay that create a ribbed texture beneath the glossy amber glaze. This textured band provides visual contrast to the elaborate slip-work below. The second register contains the piece's most spectacular decoration: a dense band of pointillist dots in multiple colours. Against a dark charcoal or black ground, thousands of tiny raised dots march in horizontal rows around the bowl's circumference. Yellow dots alternate with white, punctuated by occasional coral-pink highlights. The effect resembles Aboriginal dot painting, Seurat's pointillism, or perhaps the decorative traditions of African ceramics – yet remains distinctly Japanese through its restraint and organisational clarity. Each dot catches light independently, creating a shimmering, textured surface that shifts as the viewer moves around the piece. The third register presents triangular motifs in cream or pale slip against a rust-brown ground. These triangles point upward in regular intervals, their edges outlined with fine dotted details. The geometric clarity provides visual relief after the dense pointillism above, whilst maintaining decorative continuity through the continued use of slip-trail technique. The foot and base feature vertical striations or fluting similar to the rim treatment, creating architectural stability and bracketing the decorative exuberance of the mid-section. This compositional strategy – elaborate decoration contained between plainer zones – demonstrates sophisticated design thinking. It prevents the piece from becoming visually overwhelming whilst ensuring the decorative bands command attention. The colour palette deserves attention. Kurihara employs earth tones exclusively: amber, rust, cream, yellow ochre, coral, charcoal, and black – all colours achievable through natural clay bodies and traditional glazes. This grounding in earthy hues connects the work to mingei traditions and Japanese folk pottery's historical reliance on locally available materials. Yet the bold patterning and dense surface coverage feels contemporary, even maximalist, challenging mingei's typical association with restraint and simplicity. For collectors, this piece represents contemporary Japanese folk ceramics at their most confident and inventive. It honours the mingei movement's celebration of handcraft and utility whilst rejecting any notion that folk pottery must be quiet or self-effacing. This is exuberant craft – pottery that delights in its own making, that celebrates the human hand's capacity for patient, repetitive labour transformed into pattern and beauty. The bowl functions perfectly for tea ceremony or daily use, its generous proportions and stable foot making it practical as well as beautiful. Yet it also commands attention as a display object. Imagine it on a simple wooden shelf where its intricate surface can be appreciated, or in use during a tea gathering where guests can discover new details with each viewing. The piece rewards close examination – the slight variations in dot size, the occasional irregularity that confirms hand execution, the way glaze pools differently across textured and smooth zones. Kurihara Setsuo works within the lineage of Japanese potters who have kept folk traditions vital by refusing to treat them as museum pieces. Like Hamada Shōji or Kawai Kanjirō before him, Kurihara understands that mingei's deepest principle is not historical replication but rather the creative freedom that comes from mastering traditional techniques so thoroughly that innovation becomes possible. This chawan demonstrates that mastery – every dot placed with confidence born from years of practice, every band of pattern balanced against the whole. The condition is excellent, with no chips, cracks, or structural issues. The slip-trail decoration remains crisp and intact, testament to proper firing that bonded the slip securely to the clay body. The glazes show their intended variation, with the amber developing warm tonal shifts and the darker grounds providing rich contrast. The foot ring is cleanly finished and stable. This piece is ready for use or display, a celebration of patient handwork and the possibilities still alive within traditional ceramic techniques. Shipping & Handling We ship worldwide via DHL or EMS with full insurance and tracking. Professional packing ensures safe arrival; combined shipping available for multiple wins. Local customs duties are the buyer's responsibility. Seller Guarantee We specialise in authentic Japanese ceramics and guarantee this piece's authenticity. Questions welcome – we reply within 24 hours.