Kyoto Earthenware, Tea Heritage
Refined by generations of Kyoto tea culture, this earthenware matcha bowl sets an ivory-white body of earthy texture beneath a glossy green-to-blue glaze band. Its rounded, robust form and abstract glaze design hold a quiet, rustic presence.
Born of Kyoto’s Heritage: This piece too is authentic Kyo-yaki pottery, handcrafted using time-honored techniques and refined by centuries of Japanese artistry.
Learn more → The Art and Technique of Kyoto Ware
Roiro Finish, 24K Gold
Lacquer artist Saki Moriyama completed graduate study in urushi at Kyoto City University of Arts (est. 1880), mastering the full discipline from woodworking to final gold application. Grounded in this discipline and additional training through the Kyoto Municipal Institute's successor program — a selective course transmitting traditional urushi to the next generation — she restored this matcha bowl over four months with natural urushi and 24K gold, finished through roiro, the pinnacle of urushi polishing, within a tradition that has adorned Japanese art for centuries.
The Bowl at the Center of Tea
In Japan's tea tradition, the matcha bowl sits at the heart of the gathering, passed hand to hand and studied closely. The gold seam descending its body is now part of what each guest sees, a record the urushi holds permanently.
