[Oribe Ware] Small Tea Bowl – A Beautiful Japanese Handmade Vessel

This small Oribe ware bowl, with its deep green glaze and abstract patterns, evokes a different landscape each time you look at it.
Because it's something you use every day, the gentle irregularities of handmade craftsmanship and its quiet beauty bring a quiet sense of fulfillment.
Perfect for morning rice or a moment of matcha—this is a bowl that adds a subtle touch of aesthetic presence to your daily life.

■Maker: Ikuhiro Tsuchida, Certified Traditional Craftsman of Mino Ware

I Didn’t Like Oribe Ware—Until I Used It

To be honest, I never really liked Oribe ware.
Its bold patterns felt a bit too loud, not quite in line with the clean, stylish aesthetic I was drawn to.

But one day, I happened to serve a dish in an Oribe bowl.
To my surprise, the vivid patterns didn’t overpower the food—they brought it to life.
The colors and textures of the dish seemed to become part of a landscape painted by the bowl itself.

That’s when I realized: Oribe ware isn’t complete on its own.
It’s meant to be used—meant to harmonize with food, with light, with touch.
Once I saw it that way, even the boldest brushstrokes felt gentle, even lovable.

Now, it’s one of the ceramics I most enjoy recommending.

About Oribe Ware

Oribe ware is a style of Mino pottery born during Japan’s Momoyama period (late 16th to early 17th century), deeply influenced by the aesthetics of tea master Furuta Oribe.
It is best known for its vivid green copper glaze, bold brushwork, and intentional asymmetry—deliberately breaking classical notions of balance and beauty.

Each piece reveals a different expression depending on how it’s used and viewed, embodying the Japanese idea of "yohaku" (余白) — the beauty of empty space and the unexpected.

Rather than being displayed, Oribe ware comes alive in daily life: at the breakfast table, during a quiet tea break, or shared with guests.

Key Features of Oribe Ware

Bold, expressive designs: Geometric motifs, nature-inspired patterns, and abstract brushstrokes give each piece a distinctive character.

Rich green glaze: The signature “Oribe glaze” contains copper, resulting in deep, almost landscape-like greens.

Organic, playful forms: Asymmetry, intentional distortion, and movement replace strict symmetry—embracing the imperfect.

Rooted in tea culture: Oribe ware was originally created for tea ceremonies, and many pieces—bowls, incense holders, serving dishes—reflect this connection.

■ Dimensions

Please Note:

The fine cracks in the glaze (called “kannyu”) are not flaws or damage.

These subtle lines are a natural feature of traditional Japanese ceramics, known as craquelure in English.
They appear during the firing process as the glaze and clay cool at different rates, and are cherished as part of the piece’s evolving character.

In Japanese aesthetics—particularly in the traditions of wabi-sabi—these delicate patterns are not considered imperfections, but rather a quiet expression of time, nature, and impermanence.
Each crack becomes a part of the landscape of the vessel, deepening with use and age.

We invite you to see these marks not as defects, but as poetry etched by fire and time.