Q Tani: White Porcelain Tea Bowl

A white porcelain (hakuji) tea bowl by Shigaraki-based ceramic artist Q Tani.

Although Q Tani mainly creates unglazed, high-fired stoneware (yakishime), in recent years, white porcelain (hakuji; glazed porcelain) has been added to his lineup. It appears that he has been researching the patterns of crazing (kannyu) for many years.

From the low foot with a thin tatami-tsuki (the bottom rim of the foot), slightly leisurely wheel-thrown marks (rokuro-me) open upward while forming subtle irregularities; the rim (koen) flares slightly but stops immediately and is chamfered. In terms of the shape from the waist, a Goryeo-like atmosphere can also be felt.

In the mikomi (inside bottom), there is a relaxed, recessed cha-damari (tea pool).The wheel-throwing is done in such a way that it gradually becomes thinner from the foot toward the rim, so the bottom and around the waist have a reasonable thickness.

The transparent glaze has very delicate crazing (kannyu) all over the inside and outside, and especially in the mikomi, the crazing creates its own unique highlight (midokoro) as a landscape (keshiki).

Since it is glazed, its ease of handling as a tool is honestly an advantage. Although it is white porcelain, it is not a uniform, flawless white; it is not simple, with many variations at a fine pitch, such as having a bluish tint, ivory color, pinholes, areas where the clay texture is partially visible, and parts that seem to have been affected by ash.

The front-facing nature of the tea bowl is low, and for this publication, the first image was regarded as the front, but it would be more appropriate for the nature of this tea bowl not to obsess too much about the "front."

Ø 160 mm
H 60 mm
Attachment | original wooden box