Taku Mamoru（1952- ) - Ciotola da tè - Gres - Bizen Anagama a legna

【Item Description】
多久守 Taku Mamoru（1952- ）
This exquisite chawan (matcha tea bowl) is a masterwork of Bizen ware, one of Japan's most celebrated ceramic traditions and one of the Six Ancient Kilns of Japan. Crafted by Taku Mamoru, a distinguished Bizen ceramicist based in Okayama Prefecture, this piece was fired in his semi-subterranean anagama kiln — a method that produces the unpredictable yet spectacular surface effects for which Bizen ware is prized worldwide.
The exterior displays a rich interplay of earthy tones — warm amber, deep iron-grey, and russet brown — achieved entirely without glaze through natural ash deposits and flame movement during extended wood-firing. The hidasuki (fire cord) markings and inbe-te surface effects flow organically across the vessel's body, creating a composition that is both dynamic and deeply meditative.
What truly sets this bowl apart is its interior. The inner surface reveals a breathtaking landscape of deep amber melting into rich chocolate brown — a surface born entirely from the unpredictable alchemy of flame, ash, and clay during the extended wood-firing process. This effect occurs spontaneously and cannot be controlled or replicated, even by the artist's own hand. Every shift in light reveals a different depth and tonality, giving the interior an almost living, ever-changing presence. When matcha is whisked within this bowl, the warm, luminous depths of the interior become an integral part of the tea experience itself.
The form is pleasingly hand-shaped with a gently flared rim and a well-defined kodai (foot ring), conforming to the classical proportions of a tea ceremony bowl. A wooden presentation box (*tomobako*) accompanies this work. This piece is ideal for practitioners of the Way of Tea (chado) as well as collectors of authentic Japanese ceramics.

【Size】
Height: 7 cm
Width: 13.5 cm (diameter)

【Weight】
257 g (bowl only) / 507 g (including tomobako)

【Condition】
The bowl is in very good vintage condition consistent with its age and the nature of wood-fired ceramics; no cracks or chips, with natural surface texture and kiln effects intact throughout.

【Artist Profile】
多久守 Taku Mamoru（1952- ）
Taku Mamoru was born in 1952 in Okayama Prefecture, the heartland of Bizen ware. He began his training in 1970 under master ceramicist Kimura Takaaki, immersing himself in the ancient techniques of one of Japan's oldest unglazed stoneware traditions. In 1983, he established his own noborigama (climbing kiln) in Wake-gun Saeki-cho, firing his debut kiln load. In 1999, he constructed a semi-subterranean anagama (tunnel kiln) in Takebe-cho, from which his mature body of work has since emerged. Taku researches a wide range of techniques to draw out the full expressive potential of Bizen clay, working primarily with the himo-zukuri (coil-building) method. His works are highly regarded for their exceptional inbe-te and hidasuki surface qualities, and he has mentored international ceramicists including British potter Christopher Ravenhall.

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