Potter: Kazuyuki Oga

Approximate size: W4.5″ by H3.2″ or 11.4 by 8.1 cm

This chawan was made by Kazuyuki Oga (1956-), who was born to the previous generation Hagi potter Kazuyuki Oga (1915-1991). This chawan is clearly modeled after bamboo which is often associated with Japan. Half cylinder shape with a ridge resembling the nodules on the stalks of bamboo. The glaze is a green gray amalgamation that turned out more blue on the interior and rim of the bowl. It has the typical rougher clay that gives Hagi its famous porous quality that instead of being seen as a deficit or flaw gave birth to what is now known and appreciated as the 7 stages of Hagi.

Hagi yaki has a tradition stretching back over 400 years and is a high-fired stoneware type of pottery. Hagi ware is prized for its subdued colours and classical features, especially the glazing is often clear and vivid. Hagi is also well known for frequently utilizing a milky, flowing white over-coating and crackled glazing. Typical Hagi ware is either white or a warm loquat or ‘Biwa’ orange in colour with no decoration. Its austere form might seem bland and unfinished at first sight but this is because Hagi ware is not complete until it is used. Not only is Hagi ware created for the explicit purpose of being used, but that it also dramatically changes colour through use.

The origins of Hagi ware can be traced back to the arrival of Korean potters to Hagi, a quaint town situated in Yamaguchi Prefecture on the Japan Sea, following Japan’s military invasion of the Korean peninsula in the late 16th century. As a result, a large number of Korean craftsmen were abducted and transported to Japan, where they played a crucial role in establishing new pottery types such as Satsuma, Arita, and Hagi ware.

The chawan has no chips or cracks and is in excellent condition. Comes with the original high quality shiho san paulownia tomobako or storage box with kiln stamp and calligraphy on the side plus a pamphlet about the potter. Quite a subdued yet charmingly atmospheric Hagi chawan.

Hagi-yaki was a so called Otome yaki and was produced for the household of the Daimyo of Hagi only and was never sold to the general public.