A Natural Frame for Every Flower : Dark Gray
A beautifully balanced Bizen piece crafted for all types of floral displays. Whether hosting a single, delicate flower or a small arrangement of greenery, its natural earthy tones allow your blooms to take center stage while adding a sophisticated touch to your table or shelf.Size : W9 × H19 cm
*As each piece is individually handmade, there may be slight variations from the item shown in the images.
*Please also note that the appearance and colour of the product may vary depending on the lighting.
About : Gallery Shozan
Based in Inbe, Okayama, the home of Bizen ware, Gallery Shozan brings together a gallery, pottery kiln and ceramics workshops. Its parent company, Matsuyama Co., Ltd., supplies Bizen clays with distinct characteristics, providing a close connection to the materials at the heart of this traditional Japanese craft.
Working with its artisans, Shozan takes care at every stage, from clay preparation and shaping to firing. Its plates and cups carry forward Bizen’s ceramic heritage while bringing the natural character of clay into everyday life.
STYLE & APPROACH
Upholding the traditional techniques of the Six Ancient Kilns while making and selling a broad range of Bizen ware for everyday use.
SPECIALITY
Plates and cups
What is BIZEN WARE?
Bizen ware comes from Imbe in Bizen City, Okayama - one of Japan's Six Ancient Kilns. Each piece is shaped by hand from local clay and fired with no glaze and no painted decoration, so the clay itself speaks. Fired with pine wood for 7-10 days at over 1,200 °C, it becomes a hard, dense stoneware - and no two pieces are ever alike.
The fired surface — yaki
Without glaze, every colour and pattern comes from how flame, ash and charcoal touch the piece in the kiln. Potters call these natural effects keshiki - “landscapes”.
- 窯変（Yōhen）: Buried in charcoal on the kiln floor, away from flame and air, the clay turns grey, dark grey or bluish.
- 胡麻（Goma）: Pine ash settles on the piece like sesame seeds; where it melts and runs, it is called tamadare.
- 棧切（Sangiri）: Where ash and charcoal cut off the air, grey to blue-black tones form against the redbrown clay.
- 緋襷（Hidasuki）: Straw wrapped around the piece reacts with iron in the clay, leaving scarlet lines.