Bring a bit of the quiet calm of a Japanese tea ceremony to one's home with this premium Goma tea bowl by artist Bifu Kimura. A chawan must be the perfect balance of function and art. Each detail of its creation is considered with painstaking detail, from heft of the bowl to the rim of the lip. The most prized chawans shine true with the soul of the artist.
The making of...
During the firing, red pine ash whirls through the kiln and eventually settles and melts onto the pieces. The result is a natural, sienna-hued ash glaze resembling sprinkles of sesame seeds, or goma (胡麻). The point at which the ash melts (1200℃) is known as tama-dare (ball drop). Goma can be most often found on pieces placed near the fire mouth. It is possible now to artificially create goma patterns by adding pine ash prior to firing. There are other variations in color: yellow, brown, black, and blue-green.
About Bifu Kimura
Bifu Kimura is a 9th generation Bizen potter in Inbe, Japan. His work balances dynamic, clean shapes with the rough textures of the Bizen firing process. Today he leads Studio Kibido with his daughter Mizuho Kimura and her husband, Yosuke.
