PRODUCT QUALITY

The beauty of the unevenness caused by handmade

The ceramic pieces are made of specially formulated clay in order to preserve their natural texture, unlike pure white porcelain. Due to the characteristics of clay or kiln, there may be black iron powder or brownish components floating on the surface. Each piece is unique, and no two are exactly the same. We hope you enjoy this unique characteristic of the ceramic.

The glaze used to preserve the texture, vivid colors, and durability of the ceramics have been developed by artisans through a long process of trial and error. In order to maintain the handmade texture, all glazes are applied by hand by artisans and fired at the optimal temperature. In this process, there may be small holes caused by air bubbles or traces of glaze that have naturally flowed out. Even in such cases, we remove any products with problems in use, so you can use our products safely. Our products are made by hand by artisans with the techniques of the mold and the potter's wheel. Although this method of production is very inefficient in today's mechanized world, we believe you can feel the full warmth of the pieces. Each piece may have a slight difference in shape and size, but this is part of the beauty and uniqueness of handmade items. We hope you embrace the handcrafted elements.

The following are some common occurrences that can happen with our handmade items.

Uneven application of glaze.

The glaze is applied by hand, not by machine, on each piece, so there is a possibility of unevenness in color and position. In Japan, this unevenness is admired as the beauty that appears in handmade products. This may be the easiest example of wabi-sabi to feel.

Black spots formed by iron powder

When pottery is fired, the iron originally contained in the clay oxidizes as it is fired in the kiln, forming black spots on the surface.

Penetration

A craze is a crack pattern in the glaze caused by the difference in shrinkage between the glaze and the base material during cooling after firing, and is different from a crack or scratch.

Penetration may appear over time, so please enjoy it as an aging beauty.

Scratches

Items with only small scratches will be treated as good, but if there are any large scratches, please contact to customer support.

Protrusions that appear on the surface of ceramics

Small dust or stones may adhere to the surface and become protrusions. Depending on the type of pottery and the type of clay used, some are very easy to produce, especially Onta ware and Koishiwara ware. 

Gold tarnish

Because pure gold is not strong enough, it is often mixed with other metals, as is often the case with gold jewelry, but the mixed gold has the property of tarnishing. Since gold is often discolored even when it is freshly fired in the kiln, we do not consider it to be a defective.

FEATURED ARTICLE

WABI-SABI: PERFECTLY IMPERFECT LINE SEEN THROUGH POTTERY

Contentment – the one common goal the entire human race revolves around no matter which path they choose to pursue individually. But have they grasped the subtle mystery of nature that lies behind true happiness? The more we sense and accept the ways of nature, the closer we get to our heart’s contentment. “Wabi-sabi” is a Japanese cultural nuance that envelopes such wisdom of appreciating life as it is through an open mind...