Kiln-pulled black (hikidashiguro) teabowl

The designation of this bowl, "kiln-pulled black" or hikidashiguro in Japanese, refers to the technique of pulling the bowl from the kiln while red hot and submerging it in water. This process quickly cools the teabowl and produces varied surface effects and a deep black hue.

The ceramic artist Tsujimura Shiro specializes in rustic, spontaneously formed teabowls and other objects. Prominent among these are his black glazed wares. The glaze and intentionally distorted "clog shape" (kutsugata) of this work recall similar bowls from Japan’s Momoyama period (1573–1615), which were purportedly developed by the warrior and tea master Furuta Oribe (1544–1615).