An elegant Japanese kyo-yaki (Kyoto ceramic) chawan (matcha bowl), made by master aristan Murakami lku. Cleverly dimpled to index the thumb for preparing and enjoying matcha, this chawan is faceted on the underside and brushed in a black earth glaze, with hand-painted shidarezakura (weeping cherry blossoms) which gracefully bow over the rim into the bowl. The interior is slip-brushed in black on black, symbolizing a twilight breath of wind that stirs the blossoms.

lku-san of the Fukuiku Kiln applies more than 45 years of experience to crafting his wares. They are made in the mountainous pottery village of Sumiyama, on the outskirts of Kyoto. The Sakura (cherry blossom) is deeply rooted in Japanese symbology, and was originally used to divine the coming year’s harvest.

Handmade Japanese tea wares are referred to as Kogei in Japan; the concept that beauty resides in the artisan’s work through nuances, wabi-sabi (irregularities), and defining differences between each piece.