Bizen-yaki - teacup - Bowl - Clay

This is a Bizen ware tea bowl with a hidasuki pattern, a traditional wood-fired piece from one of Japan's six ancient kilns. Bizen ware is a traditional ceramic from Bizen City, Okayama Prefecture, Japan. It is the only one of the six ancient kilns that does not use glaze or painting; its texture is entirely formed by the natural reaction of flames, ash, and clay during wood firing.

The orange-red stripes on this tea bowl are the signature hidasuki pattern of Bizen ware: during firing, the vessel is wrapped in straw, and the areas where the straw contacts the surface undergo a high-temperature reduction reaction, creating these flame-like reddish-brown lines. Each piece has a unique pattern.

The clay is a unique iron-containing clay from Bizen, giving the unglazed body a warm, beige hue with a fine, natural sandy texture—a typical characteristic of Bizen ware.

The hidasuki pattern extends to the rim and interior of the bowl, indicating that the straw wrapping was complete and intentionally designed during firing. The smooth, natural lines demonstrate the potter's skill in controlling the fire.

The foot ring is hand-cut and has the characteristic of "unglazed foot" common in Bizen ware. The stamp on the bottom is the potter's mark, which is the key to distinguishing the maker and the era.