When you wish to make matcha the usual way but need to transfer it into smaller cups or another container, the Katakuchi Chawan (片口茶碗) is a solution. When using a traditional chawan, the tea does not pour easily. Thus, lots of matcha is wasted as it runs off the bowl's surface and spills. Katakuchi Chawan lets you whisk your matcha and then cleanly pour it into another container. It's excellent for sharing matcha with guests!
Our Katakuchi chawan is part of the Shitoro-Yaki pottery style. Shitoro-yaki (志戸呂焼) refers to the pottery produced from the 12th century in a small area of southwest Shizuoka Prefecture. The town formerly known as Kanaya (金谷) is the center of this style. The region's clay is rich in ferric oxides, which give the clay and glazes their yellowish and reddish hues. The Shitoro-yaki pottery style often showcases the color and personality of the clay. It affirms the rustic simplicity and small details that give each object its own identity.
Shitoro-yaki was a favorite of Kobori Enshu, an Edo-period (17th century) tea master, who designated it as one of the "Enshu Nana Kama" (7 pottery styles of Enshu).
Rito Aoshima (青嶋利陶) is the maker of our Katakuchi Chawan. A second-generation potter, Rito Aoshima's father, founded the current studio where he works. The studio was established to revive the Shitoro-Yaki aesthetic and safeguard its more than 900-year legacy. The kiln was constructed as a Noborigama (rising kiln), with numerous layers staggered vertically to produce an extraordinarily high firing temperature. Rito Aoshima first studied pottery at Seto (a renowned pottery region). Then he went back to Shizuoka to learn the Shitoro-Yaki method. Later, he took over his father's studio and kiln, and continued creating elegant vessels and teaware for tea ceremonies. It has been 25 years since Rito Aoshima entered the world of pottery and 15 years since he inherited the Rito name. 2022 marks the 30th year of the Rito Kiln. Today, Rito Aoshima is one of five remaining Shitoro-Yaki artisans in the area.
Capacity: 400ml
Material: Pottery. Glazed. Handmade.
Size: 5.5" x 2.5" / 14 x 6.5cm
NOTE: Every chawan is hand-crafted, making each matcha bowl unique. The Chawan delivered may not be exactly as pictured, but will be crafted in the same style, shape, and spirit.
NOTE: Avoid using detergents when cleaning.