Kutani Matcha Chawan by Kozan Kiln — Hane-Usagi Leaping Rabbit Moon Bowl

A modern Kutani matcha chawan from the Kōzan (幸山) kiln in Ishikawa Prefecture — three raised-white rabbits hop across a speckled gray ash-glaze body beneath a gold full moon and gold susuki (pampas grass) blades streaming with the wind. The supplier names this pattern simply はねうさぎ (Hane-Usagi / "Leaping Rabbits"). Look at it for a moment and the older Japanese imagery surfaces: the jade rabbit (玉兎 gyokuto) pounding mochi on the moon, the autumn moon-viewing field (月見 tsukimi) where wild pampas grass catches the September light, the contemplative wabi-sabi aesthetic of softly speckled stoneware. The foot ring carries the gold-transfer 九谷 幸山 kiln seal as definitive maker attribution.

Made by Kozan Kiln (幸山) / Kutani-yaki (九谷焼) in Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan, curated by ZenKiln

Maker: 幸山 (Kōzan) — Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan (Kutani kiln) — foot-ring kiln seal verified

About the design

The 月夜野ウサギ (moonlit-field rabbits) motif sits inside one of Japan's deepest cultural threads. In ancient folklore, the rabbit lives on the moon — the dark patches we see are the silhouette of the 玉兎 (gyokuto / jade rabbit) pounding mochi. Pair that mythology with pampas grass (susuki / 薄・芒), the autumn-grass companion of the September full moon, and you have the iconic 中秋の名月 (Chūshū no Meigetsu) Mid-Autumn moon-viewing aesthetic — though Japanese ceramic design enjoys this imagery year-round. The Kōzan kiln renders it here in the modern Kutani idiom: rather than the bold 五彩手 (gosaide / five-color polychrome) of classical Kutani, this piece uses a quieter contemporary palette — a nezumi-iro gray ash-glaze body, raised-white painting, gold-leaf accents — which sits comfortably in wabi-sabi-leaning Japanese interiors.

Use

• Functional matcha-whisking chawan — the speckled glossy gray interior whisks matcha cleanly with a chasen bamboo whisk
• Equally usable as a small bowl for nuts / wagashi tea sweets / individual rice / dessert serving
• A meaningful tea-altar piece for daily chadō practice; pairs naturally with a chasen, chashaku tea scoop, and chakin tea cloth
• Display-worthy when not in use — the rabbit-and-moon motif rewards close looking

Gifting

The included wooden gift box (kibako) with calligraphic lid + 2 color-printed Kutani info inserts make this gift-ready as received. Well-suited for matcha practitioners, tea-ceremony students, Japanese-pottery collectors, autumn moon-viewing tsukimi gatherings, housewarmings (with a new tea-corner), Father's Day, anniversaries, and client / mentor / teacher thank-yous.