Kuroraku Makugusuri Shōraku

Matcha tea bowl from Sasaki Shōraku III

Maku-Gusuri (the glazed curtain-like appearance) of a Kuro Raku chawan (a black Raku tea bowl) is called so because the melting glaze looks like a curtain (maku) after glazing the top of a tea bowl.

First black glaze is applied to a tea bow. Afterwards more glaze is put on it and the bowl is placed into a kiln by a craftsman. This is when his skill is tested. The conditions in the kiln always need checking because if the second coat of glaze run down to the bottom, the glaze curtain doesn't appear, or if the tea bowl is taken out from the kiln too early, the curtain can't be created. The craftsman must take it out from the kiln at the perfect timing, so the curtain pattern appears.
Each Kuro Raku chawan which is produced by this process has an entirely different feeling.

The glaze is not applied to the bottom of a tea bowl, so it presents the surface of the clay. The middle part of a tea bowl is slightly curved, so it is easy to hold.
This tea bowl comes with a wooden box to store in. When shipping, it is placed in a paper box for safety reasons. The wooden box will be accompanied with it.

Place of origin: Kyoto, Japan

About matcha tea bowls:

A matcha tea bowl is sometimes translated as a “Matcha Bowl,” so it is sometimes considered just a bowl for practical use, but many matcha bowls are produced for ornamental purposes as well.
The clay used for a matcha bowl has unique characteristics: some can be coarse, and it can become modified in various ways. Consequently, every matcha bowl appears different. The matcha bowl which you have purchased might look a little different from the one on our website.

INITIATION
We strongly recommend initiating the Raku tea bowl before use!
Raku chawan are very fragile, as the clay is very porous. When initiating with lukewarm water containing rice powder, the powder goes into the pores and strengthens the structure of the pottery.
If ordered with initiation, we can do it for you before sending the raku chawan to you. If you prefer to do the initiation yourself, you can read more about how to do it below or in our blog post about Raku chawan (also linked below).

☆ WE GUARANTEE SAFE DELIVERY - if the product gets damaged in transit we will replace or make a refund.

☆ HANDMADE PRODUCT - Please note that the item we have in stock might not be the same piece shown on the pictures above. Each piece is unique and slightly different from each other. If you are particular about either the size, the capacity or the appearance, contact us, and we will share photos or the exact details of our available pieces in stock.

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