{"product_id":"kutani-hidamari-matcha-bowl","title":"Kutani Matcha Chawan — Iroe Yū Hidamari Cats Tea Bowl Ø11 cm (Kiri Box)","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eKutani Matcha Chawan — Iroe Yū \"Hidamari\" Cats-in-Blooms Tea Bowl Ø 11 × H 6.7 cm (with paulownia kiri-box)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA hand-painted Kutani matcha chawan from \u003cstrong\u003e色絵工房 遊 (Iroe Yū \/ \"Iroe Workshop Yū\")\u003c\/strong\u003e, an Ishikawa-based contemporary Kutani workshop. This is the cat variant of their signature \u003cem\u003e\"Hidamari\" (陽だまり \/ \"patch of sunshine\")\u003c\/em\u003e series, which the workshop describes as one of its most popular lines internationally since 2020.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe motif\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA white cat and a black cat sit side by side with their backs to us, looking up at a small patch of springtime — a cluster of forget-me-not blue, tiny butterflies in pale yellow, and slender flower stems in purple, pink, and aqua. The drawing is intentionally pared-down: pencil-thin iron-red whiskers, the cats' tails caught mid-flick, the world around them suggested rather than filled in. It is the \u003cem\u003eHidamari\u003c\/em\u003e feeling — a moment of warm light in a quiet corner.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe body\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIroe Yū's signature wabi-sabi grey-glaze stoneware. The lower body and interior are a deep, slightly warm grey, finely speckled where iron from the clay shows through; the upper panel that holds the painting is a soft kohiki-style white, equally speckled, like sun on snow. The foot ring is unglazed at the standing surface and stamped with the workshop's red \u003cstrong\u003e遊\u003c\/strong\u003e kanji seal in a small square box (visible in the bottom photo).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSize \u0026amp; use\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDiameter 11 cm × Height 6.7 cm (≈ 4.33 × 2.64 in) — within the standard size range for a matcha chawan (whisked-matcha tea bowl). The form sits comfortably in both hands and gives room for the chasen (bamboo whisk) to move. Sized for daily tea-ceremony practice (keiko-ya) as well as collector display.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBox \u0026amp; papers\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArrives in the workshop's premium \u003cstrong\u003e桐箱 (kiribako \/ paulownia gift box)\u003c\/strong\u003e with brushed calligraphy reading \u003cem\u003e九谷焼 茶碗\u003c\/em\u003e (Kutani-yaki matcha chawan) and the red 遊 seal, plus an Iroe Yū workshop introduction card and a \u003cem\u003eKutani-yaki METI Traditional Craft pamphlet\u003c\/em\u003e (METI = Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry; Kutani-yaki is a designated Traditional Craft).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCare\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMicrowave and dishwasher use is not specified, so as with most hand-painted art-tier matcha chawans we recommend gentle hand washing only — warm water, soft cloth, no abrasive sponge. Dry by hand. The wabi-sabi grey glaze can hold a faint matcha stain after long use; many tea practitioners welcome this as \u003cem\u003ekeshiki (景色 \/ \"scenery\")\u003c\/em\u003e — part of how a chawan grows into its owner. Each piece is decorated by hand, so slight variations in cat-tail line, flower placement, and speckle distribution are part of how the workshop makes them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e• Made by Iroe Yu Workshop \/ Kutani-yaki in Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan, curated by ZenKiln.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"ZenKiln","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47537751818470,"sku":"ZK-CHAWAN-IROEYU-HIDAMARI-CATS-11CM","price":75.0,"currency_code":"CHF","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0779\/5392\/5350\/files\/DSC08869.webp?v=1778290058","url":"https:\/\/zen-kiln.com\/en-ch\/products\/kutani-hidamari-matcha-bowl","provider":"ZenKiln","version":"1.0","type":"link"}