tem Description A Celestial Landscape Frozen in Glaze — A Blue-Toned Straw Ash Glaze Chawan by Moriyama What sets this tea bowl apart is its captivating blue-toned straw ash glaze (wara-hai yu) — a natural glaze derived from rice straw ash that, in this firing, has produced a distinctive and luminous blue-grey tonality, lending this piece a quietly celestial character. The glaze surface evokes a vast, cloud-swept sky at dusk: a softly misted pale blue-white ground spreads across the entire interior and exterior, animated throughout by countless fine dark speckles where the iron-rich clay body has bled through the glaze during the high-temperature firing. On the exterior, horizontal bands of deeper, darker glaze flow naturally around the body, creating the impression of passing clouds or ocean currents layered beneath the misty blue surface. This interplay between the pale ash glaze and the darker iron-rich zones is entirely the product of kiln atmosphere and glaze chemistry — no two firings could ever produce the same result, making this piece truly one of a kind. The interior presents an equally meditative landscape. The straw ash glaze pools gently toward the centre, its surface alive with fine pitting and natural variation in tone — pale silver, soft blue, and warm grey shifting together depending on the light. This type of natural, unpredictable surface beauty is the very essence of the Japanese aesthetic of yōhen (kiln transformation), and it is rarely achieved with such subtlety and grace. The form is a classic, wide-mouthed hirazukuri (flat-style) chawan, well-proportioned for both matcha preparation and quiet appreciation as a display piece. The compact, neatly trimmed unglazed foot ring (kōdai) reveals the warm sandy stoneware clay beneath, offering a grounding contrast to the ethereal glaze above. The artist's seal, reading "Moriyama" (守山), is cleanly impressed beside the foot ring. No tomobako (original wooden box) accompanies the piece. Size Height: 6 cm Width: 14.5 cm Weight: 312 g Condition This tea bowl is in excellent condition with absolutely no chips, cracks, repairs, or restoration of any kind; the glaze surface is fully intact and pristine throughout. Artist Profile This tea bowl bears the impressed seal "Moriyama" (守山), the artistic go (号 — artist's pseudonym) of a Japanese studio ceramic artist. The distinctive blue-grey straw ash glaze (wara-hai yu) displayed here — brought to life through natural kiln transformation — demonstrates a high level of mastery over traditional glaze chemistry and high-fire kiln technique, placing this work firmly within the refined tradition of Japanese tea ceremony ceramics (chatō). The artist's full biographical details are not confirmed; the piece is presented on the basis of the impressed seal mark alone. 【Important Notice】 The item will be carefully packaged and shipped via Japan Post, DHL, or FedEx depending on the situation. Delivery typically takes approximately 2-3 weeks. Import duties, taxes, and charges are not included in the item price or shipping cost. These charges are the buyer's responsibility. Cannot be combined with other items for shipping. Thank you.