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

Entre los estimados linajes conocidos como Bizen Rokusei, o Seis Hornos Antiguos de Cerámica Bizen, el Horno Hozan destaca como una institución venerable. Mori Toshiaki, sucesor de la 19.ª generación, mantiene con maestría esta rica tradición, a la vez que explora nuevas posibilidades. Compaginando sus responsabilidades en el horno con sus intereses artísticos personales, Mori realiza una extensa investigación y explora enfoques innovadores tanto en las técnicas de moldeado como de cocción, ampliando los límites de la cerámica Bizen.

Bizen Ware

La cerámica Bizen es un tipo de gres tradicional producido en la zona de Imbe, en la prefectura de Okayama. Es una de las cerámicas más antiguas de Japón y se elabora mediante la técnica yakishime , en la que las piezas se cuecen a altas temperaturas sin esmaltado para que sean duraderas y resistentes al agua.

La cerámica Bizen se denomina "el arte de la arcilla y el fuego" por los exquisitos colores y patrones producidos por las llamas del horno, y se caracteriza por su diseño minimalista wabi sabi.