• A hand built black raku matcha bowl by Shoraku Kiln in the Chojiro Kamuro style, with a cylindrical tapered form, irregular rim, and a deep iron dark glaze showing horizontal striations and warm brown tones, photographed against a white background.
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Shoraku Kiln

Chojiro Kamuro Style Black Raku Matcha Bowl

Chojiro Kamuro Style Black Raku Matcha Bowl

$388.00 USD
$388.00 USD
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Few objects in Japanese ceramic history carry the weight of a Chojiro black raku chawan. Chojiro, the 16th-century founder of raku ware, shaped bowls by hand rather than wheel, producing forms of deliberate irregularity that the tea master Sen no Rikyu recognized as the perfect vessel for the wabi aesthetic he was defining. This chawan by Shoraku Kiln works within that lineage, hand-built with the same restrained intention. The form is cylindrical and slightly tapered, its rim uneven in the way that only hand-building produces, and the surface carries a deep, iron-dark glaze that shifts between matte black and warm brown where the clay body and firing atmosphere have left their traces. Horizontal striations move across the exterior, evidence of the forming process preserved rather than smoothed away. Held in two hands, as a chawan of this kind is meant to be, it settles with a gravity that is difficult to articulate and immediately felt.

This bowl is accompanied by OG Matcha Kakitsubata from Osada Tea, selected to complete the tea experience.

Detail

Bowl Size: Approx. W 3.7in x L 3.7in x H 3.3in / W 9.5cm x L 9.5cm x H 8.5cm
Material: Ceramic

(OG Matcha Kakitsubata)
Ingredients: OG Matcha (Green Tea Powder)
Cultivar: TEA MASTER BLEND
Duration of tea leaf sun-shaded: 20~25 days
Harvest: Spring (First Flush)
Farm: Tenryu, Kirishima, Miyazaki
Region: Shizuoka, Kagoshima, Miyazaki, Japan
Expect Annual Production: 10,000kg / 22,046 lbs
Manufacturer: OSADA Seicha Co., Ltd.
Steaming: Light
Roasting Level: 9
Bead mill: Yes
Grade: Ceremonial, Culinary
Caffeine Level: Medium
Origin: Made in Japan with Japanese Material
Package Size: W 2.4in x L 2.4in x H 2.4in / W 6cm x L 6cm x H 6cm, 30g / 1.06oz
Keeping Method: Best within 30 days after opening

Each piece is individually handmade, and dimensions, glaze, and surface finish will vary between pieces. Variation in color and appearance from images shown is inherent to the handmade nature of the work and does not constitute a defect.

Care ＆ Use

Bowl

  • Do not soak the ceramics for extended periods, as this may weaken the material.
  • Do not expose the ceramics to sudden temperature changes to prevent cracking.
  • Hand washes only. 
  • Use mild detergent when needed. Clean with a soft sponge and mild detergent. Avoid abrasive cleaners that can scratch the surface.
  • Do not use in the microwave.
  • Ensure the item is completely dry before storing to prevent mold or mildew.
  • Regularly check for cracks or chips before use.
  • Handle ceramics with care to avoid accidental drops or impacts.

Matcha storage

  • Keep unopened packages in the refrigerator or freezer.
  • After opening, store in a cool, dark place away from direct sunlight or humidity.
  • For optimal flavor, use within one month after opening.

Basic Preparation

  • Whisk about 2g in 70ml of hot water at approximately 176°F (80°C).
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Born of Tea, Shaped by Hand, Fired in a Single Breath

Raku ware holds a place unlike any other in Japanese ceramic history. Where most traditions evolved gradually from utilitarian origins, Raku was conceived from the outset with a single purpose: to serve the tea ceremony. In the late 16th century, tea master Sen no Rikyu commissioned a Kyoto tile maker named Chojiro to produce bowls that would embody his wabi-cha aesthetic, the idea that the highest beauty is found not in ornament but in stillness and restraint. What Chojiro created became the foundation of a tradition unbroken for over 450 years.

Two qualities define Raku ware above all others. The first is forming entirely by hand without a wheel, leaving the subtle pressure of the maker's fingers in the clay. The second is firing at unusually low temperatures before drawing the piece from the kiln while still hot, cooling it in open air. This produces the deep, unrepeatable surfaces of black and red Raku that carry the mark of fire and time in equal measure.

In the hierarchy of tea ceramics, Raku holds the foremost position, expressed in the centuries-old adage: "First Raku, second Hagi, third Karatsu." A distinction earned not through refinement or decoration, but through a radical commitment to quietness and the integrity of the hand.

Brand History

Shoraku Kiln was founded in 1905 in Kyoto, when Sasaki Kichinosuke left the city's central district and established a Raku ware kiln at the foot of Kiyomizudera Temple, dedicating it entirely to the production of tea bowls for chanoyu. Over the following century, the kiln drew the personal guidance of some of Japan's most significant cultural and spiritual figures, including Daitoku-ji head priests Goto Zuigan and Fukutomi Settei, and the religious leader Deguchi Onisaburo, who bestowed upon the kiln the name Shoraku, a name carrying the quiet weight of that trust.

The kiln later relocated to Kameoka in Kyoto Prefecture, a town wrapped in mountain mist whose stillness the Sasaki family regards as naturally consonant with the spirit of wabi-cha. Now in its fourth generation, Shoraku Kiln shapes every tea bowl entirely by hand, firing black Raku with glaze ground from Kamo River stone and red Raku at lower temperatures to coax out its characteristically soft warmth. At the heart of the practice is a conviction that a tea bowl should not assert itself, but simply be present, creating stillness and space for the moment of tea to unfold.