24K Gold Kintsugi Arita Ware Bowl | The Vermilion Divide

Vermilion over Arita Ware Arita, in Kyushu, produced Japan's first porcelain in the early 1600s and remains a benchmark for Japanese porcelain. This bowl offers an unusual expression of that tradition: a rich vermilion glaze, evenly fired across the exterior with a soft sheen, requiring precise kiln control. A black band edged with fine gold encircles both the rim and foot, while the interior is pale cream with a faint crackle pattern. Shaped by Arita’s Legacy: This piece also comes from Arita ware, Japan’s first porcelain tradition. Prized for its luminous white body and refined hand-painted details, embodying the harmony of precision and quiet beauty. Learn more → Discover the Art and Craftsmanship of Arita Ware Porcelain Moriyama's Line in 24K Gold Saki Moriyama restored this broken bowl over four months. A lacquer artist who holds a Master's degree in Lacquer Arts from Kyoto City University of Arts, she completed Kyoto's successor program in urushi craft and has received an award for her urushi work. She rejoined the fragments with natural urushi, building a smooth foundation in cured, polished layers. She then sprinkled 24K marufun (spherical gold powder) over the restored areas in the maki-e manner and sealed it with a thin coat of raw urushi, binding gold and urushi into one durable layer. The final roiro finish demands exceptional skill and meticulous hand-polishing, bringing out a rich, deep luster in the gold. Food-safe, the bowl remains suitable for the table. A Rare Hue from Arita Vermilion is uncommon in Arita porcelain, better known for cobalt and white; firing its red surface evenly, with the black band at rim and foot, requires precise control of the kiln. The restoration answers that precision with its own: 24K gold lines crossing from black into red, polished to a depth that holds its place beside the glaze. Food-safe, the bowl belongs equally on a table or a shelf. Moriyama's kintsugi and her own contemporary urushi work are one practice, and this bowl carries a share of it, her months and her care included, into whichever collection receives it.