Iga Sometsuke Medium Bowl

This medium bowl features two shallow folds along the rim that break up its circular outline. Combined with the raised foot, they give the vessel a profile that changes as it is turned in the hand. The substantial body is lifted slightly above the table, creating a form that appears both grounded and open.

At the center, a pool of vidro glaze settles into a tightly woven network of kannyu crackles. Around it, shades of blue descend from the rim in uneven streaks before dissolving into the pale surface below. While sometsuke is traditionally associated with porcelain, the gosu cobalt takes on a different character here, meeting coarse stoneware. Small feldspar inclusions and tiny pinholes remain visible throughout, recording the effects of fire on the surface.

Headed by Fukushima Kazuhiro, Mukai Kiln draws upon inherited materials and techniques while continuing to seek new possibilities within them. His apprenticeship under Koie Ryoji, training abroad, and eventual return to his roots have shaped the kiln's willingness to bring together elements not usually encountered side by side. During the extended firing of an anagama, a wood-fired kiln where flame and ash move freely through a single chamber, each vessel responds differently to its surroundings. Though fired alongside the other pieces in this series, the bowl develops a landscape all its own.

Mukai Kiln

Mukai Kiln is a long-established Iga ware kiln with roots dating back to the late Edo period. Today, eighth-generation potter Fukushima Kazuhiro and brother Shinya continue the tradition through both traditional and contemporary designs.

Using the region’s coarse clay, the kiln creates vessels shaped by ash and flame while preserving the natural character of the clay. Pieces born from the same firing carry subtle harmony in surface and color, bringing visual continuity to the table.

Iga Ware

Iga ware, produced in the Iga region of Mie Prefecture, is celebrated for its deep roots in Japanese ceramic history and its distinctive character. With a lineage stretching back some 1,200 years, Iga ware rose to prominence during the Momoyama period (1573–1615 CE), when it became closely tied to the aesthetics of the tea ceremony.

As a form of traditional Japanese pottery, Iga ware is admired for its robust clay, earthy texture, and the organic beauty that emerges through various firing methods. The natural ash glazing and translucent green, glass-like vidro effects created by the intense heat of the kiln reveal the expressive artistry that defines Iga ware.