Kankake Ware - Muroi Koetsu - Tea bowl - Blended Glazed - Ceramic - 神懸焼 室井香悦 作 黒茶碗

A powerful and atmospheric black tea bowl by Muroi Kōetsu, crafted in the tradition of Kankake-yaki ware. The bowl is enveloped in a deep, iron-rich glaze with striking natural variations of charcoal black, dark auburn, and smoky crimson tones created through the firing process. Along the rim, the glaze descends in dramatic cascades, forming a texture reminiscent of molten metal or volcanic stone.
The two types of glaze blend together perfectly, creating a unique and distinctive appearance.

The beauty of this chawan lies in its raw, almost primordial presence. The surface reveals subtle flashes of crystalline sheen and organic kiln effects that shift under changing light, giving the bowl a quiet but intense depth. Its solid form and dark coloration embody the wabi-sabi aesthetics cherished in Japanese tea culture — simplicity, imperfection, and the beauty born from fire and time.

Kankake ware is known for its earthy strength and expressive kiln transformations, and this work by Muroi Kōetsu captures those qualities beautifully. The heavy, tactile texture contrasts elegantly with the softness of matcha, making the bowl especially appealing for tea practitioners and collectors who appreciate bold, rustic Japanese ceramics with a deeply meditative character.

Muroi Kōetsu, Kankake-yaki Pottery

Kankake-yaki Ware Kankake Kiln

(Tonodono-cho, Shōzu-gun, Kagawa Prefecture)

Made by Muroi Kōetsu, the 5th generation

In the early Meiji period, Soshun, a potter from Yashima-yaki pottery, came to Shōdoshima Island and, together with the tea master Akimitsu, built a pottery kiln at the foot of Mt. Kankake (Kankakei Gorge), becoming the first generation of Kankake-yaki pottery and beginning the production of tea ceremony ceramics.

Later, Kōetsu, a potter from Kutani in Kaga Province, came to the island. Using his own unique glaze, he created the current Kankake-yaki products using a unique firing method that gives the pottery the softness and deep flavor characteristic of Raku ware, while essentially achieving a robustness and elegance close to that of traditional firing.

Kankake kiln specializes in tea ceremony ceramics, and while exhibiting the characteristics of Raku ware, as our name, "Village of Flames, Kamikake Kiln," suggests, we use high-temperature firing techniques. By using glazes with different colors, they melt and mix together during firing, resulting in a glaze surface that displays a variety of expressions and is rich in variation.

Please refer to the accompanying images for a visual representation, though note that the photos may not capture all the intricate details of this exquisite piece.

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