Iron Black Shinogi Kobachi Bowl

Beautiful tableware from the famous Japanese pottery town of Mashiko. Mashiko was once home to Shōji Hamada, celebrated ceramicist and founding member of the Mingei (folk craft) Movement, who through Bernard Leach shaped modern-day studio pottery in Japan and the UK.

This piece was handcrafted by Junichi Mashiko, a highly regarded contemporary ceramicist who today works in this respected pottery enclave. It’s true to Mashiko’s Mingei origins: warm, solid, deceptively modest in design and intended for everyday life.

In Junichi’s distinctive style, the shape is reminiscent of European antiques and suited to all types of cuisine.

After throwing on the wheel, he uses the ancient technique of ‘shinogi’, scraping away the surface of the clay to create fine vertical grooves, and when semi-dry applies a powdered iron black glaze.

The result is a piece which glows black, a metallic-like brilliance with the appearance of rust or burnished copper dripping from the rim. It’s incredibly tactile, with a slight roughness to the touch. Very much an expression of the earth.

A ‘kobachi’ bowl is a medium sized bowl typically used for soup, donburi or desserts.

It’s rare to find such a fine example of Mashiko pottery outside of Japan, drawing upon its long and distinguished history.