A hand-thrown stoneware bowl with a pinched pouring spout, in the Japanese wood-fired tradition.
The form is a deep, tapering cone that flares to a wide mouth, with a single spout drawn out from the rim. The outside is left unglazed, and the fire has coloured the clay in warm terracotta and rust tones, with a softer, paler patch on one side where flame or ash touched it differently. Fine throwing lines run around the body, and the surface is gritty and matte. Inside, the clay darkens to deep brown and olive, with a speckled, slightly glassy patch at the bottom where ash glaze has settled. The foot is cleanly trimmed, and there is a faint incised mark on the base.
This kind of bowl is called a katakuchi in Japan, and it is traditionally used for pouring sauces, sake or liquids, or for mixing. It is also a beautiful object on its own, as a bowl for fruit or small things, or as a quiet sculptural piece on a shelf or table.
