Goma Five-Sided Matcha Bowl

The Goma Five-Sided Matcha Bowl is a work shaped by both the artist's hand and the nature of the kiln. Rising from a pentagonal foot, the form opens into five gently flowing panels, each one extending upward with an organic rhythm that balances structure and movement. 

Goma is a classic of Bizen ware, its name derived from its resemblance to scattered sesame seeds. This pattern emerges as wood ash, carried upward by the kiln's draft, settles and melts across the surface of the vessel. To draw out its distinctive landscape, the bowl was deliberately placed in the front row of the uppermost shelf, where ash falls most generously. 

Mori Toshiaki employed a two-stage firing process: the bowl was first fired in the climbing kiln in a stable position to set its form, then fired a second time in the kakugama, a single-chamber kiln, where it was exposed to the full intensity of the ash. This careful sequencing ensures that the vessel holds its shape even as the surface continues to transform.

The pooled rivulets of ash that gather along the rim, known as tamadare, were formed by setting the bowl at a slight forward tilt during the second firing, allowing molten ash to flow and collect at the edge. Because the bowl rested on three shell supports during this process, the foot also bears subtle imprints from the shells.

Beyond the firing process, the form itself carries meaning. The design reflects Mori's engagement with the philosophical balance of yin and yang, in which straight lines and a restrained tone speak to yin, while curves and the five sides of the pentagon carry the energy of yang. In this bowl, opposing principles meet in a single, resolved form—a reflection of his deep respect for the Bizen tradition and his willingness to explore new possibilities within it.

Mori Toshiaki

Unter den angesehenen Bizen Rokusei-Linien (den sechs alten Brennöfen für Bizen-Ware) sticht der Hozan-Brennofen als ehrwürdige Institution hervor. Mori Toshiaki, der Nachfolger in der 19. Generation, pflegt diese reiche Tradition meisterhaft und eröffnet gleichzeitig neue Möglichkeiten. Er balanciert seine Aufgaben am Brennofen mit seinen persönlichen künstlerischen Aktivitäten, betreibt umfangreiche Forschung und erkundet innovative Ansätze sowohl in der Formgebung als auch in den Brenntechniken, wodurch er die Grenzen der Bizen-Ware erweitert.

Bizen Ware

Bizen-Ware ist ein traditionelles Steingut, das in der Region Imbe der Präfektur Okayama hergestellt wird. Es ist eine der ältesten Keramiken Japans und wird unter Verwendung der Yakishime Technik, bei der Stücke bei hohen Temperaturen ohne Glasur gebrannt werden, um sie haltbar und wasserfest zu machen.

Bizen-Ware wird aufgrund der exquisiten Farben und Muster, die durch die Flammen des Ofens entstehen, als „Kunst aus Ton und Feuer“ bezeichnet und zeichnet sich durch ihr minimalistisches Wabi-Sabi-Design aus.