This is a modern Oribe tea bowl.

In February of this year, I came across a tea bowl by Junji Setsu , which was exhibited at the "Contemporary Tea Ceramics Exhibition" hosted by Toki City, Gifu Prefecture, known as the home of Oribe pottery. I felt a strong connection to it, thinking, "This is what Oribe pottery is all about today."

Of course, my initial impression was that it was Oribe ware, but it seems the artist also drew inspiration from old black Oribe tea bowls. However, he didn't create a copy of the old piece.

The shaping technique is also unique; instead of distorting the clay after wheel-throwing as was done with older Kuro-Oribe ware, the clay body is rolled out into a flat sheet, cut, and then joined to form the body and base—a technique known as tatara construction.

The bowl is made with a relatively thin construction overall, which gives it a clean and refined appearance. The pattern on the body is created using the suminagashi (marbling) technique, with three layers of white, gray, and light black. Both the shape and pattern of the bowl have a unique and fresh feel, and I thought it was a fine bowl for thin tea.

Here, we introduce a promising ceramic artist who has made a significant impact on the modern tea ceremony bowl.

Seizo Hayashiya