Bizen tea bowl

This new Bizen tea bowl is the work of Mashiro Aiga, an artist known for creating works of uncompromising integrity and backbone. It fuses a "soft" form—designed for a perfect fit in the palm and the pursuit of ultimate usability—with the "hard" firing style that instantly marks it as an Aiga piece. The gritty, intense *sangiri* (kiln-effect coloring) appears almost wet, and this three-dimensional technique is truly one-of-a-kind. The waist of the bowl is slightly constricted, adding an exquisite elegance to the rising form. Yet, the base features a classic, stately crescent-moon *kodai* (foot ring), skillfully lending the entire piece a sense of tension and refinement. Signed wooden box (four-way locking lid)
Diameter 12.8cm x Diameter 11.7cm x Height 9.8cm Mashiro Aiga graduated from the Okayama Prefectural Bizen Ceramic Center in 1997. In 2003, he built a fully subterranean *anagama* kiln in Samukawa. The following year, in 2004, he constructed a second, semi-subterranean *anagama* kiln, where he continues to dedicate himself to his craft.