Carved Aka Raku Chawan

This classic aka raku chawan (matcha bowl) features a low hantsutsu-gata shape with subtle diagonal facets around the waist. Each bowl is hand-built and carved in Shōraku's work shop from his signature lightweight red clay blend. Then they are decorated with charcoal to form the black patches on the front of the bowl before being coated with a milky, translucent glaze that allows the clay's soft red colour to shine through. Finally, each chawan is briefly fired at around 800°C (1472°F). The low-temperature firing gives raku chawan their distinctive soft lightweight texture. The bowl is stamped 松楽 (Shōraku), which he uses on his more entry-level pieces.