Matcha bowl / "Kuroraku" Honma-yaki

Please note, this item is a unique piece.

Black matcha Raku-yaki bowl (Kuroraku) made by Yûsuke Honma (1907-1983) in Sakata, Yamagata Prefecture.

Fascinated by 16th-17th century masterpieces such as "Chojiro" and "Nôsaku," Yûsuke Honma, director of the Honma Museum, built a small kiln in a corner of the museum's garden. Thus, "Honma-yaki" ceramics, a type of Raku produced in Sakata, were born.
Raku ceramics are characterized by the production techniques of tezukune (hand-molding) and low-temperature firing (750°C – 1200°C) in a small kiln. Tezukune is a pottery-making method that involves kneading the clay by hand without using a potter's wheel, then shaping it by scraping it with a spatula. The marks left by scraping with a spatula are a distinctive feature of each Raku piece and constitute a unique element.