Japanese-Style Lidded Ceramic Bowl, Matte Black Glaze, White Crackle Interior, Hakeme Brushwork, Tea Ceremony Style

A BLACK VESSEL WITH A WHITE SECRET INSIDE

Lift the cover and the black turns to cream. The outside is a matte iron-black glaze flecked with fine speckles and a faint blue-violet bloom. Inside, a creamy crackle glaze shines softly. Turn the lid over and you find a sweep of white brush marks, hakeme (刷毛目), brushed across warm brown clay. The body is thin, round and exact, and the cover seats neatly on the unglazed brown rim. This is a lidded Japanese-style ceramic bowl (蓋物, futamono) in a minimal, tea-ceremony taste.

QUICK FACTS
• Type: lidded ceramic bowl / jar with matching flat cover (蓋物, futamono)
• Exterior: matte black speckled glaze with a blue-violet cast
• Interior: creamy white glaze with fine crackle (貫入, kannyū)
• Lid underside: white brush slip (刷毛目, hakeme) over brown clay, clear glaze, unglazed brown rim
• Body: smooth orange-brown clay on the base, with a tiny impressed stamp
• Fit: thin walls, round and symmetrical, lid seats on an unglazed rim
• Origin: Japan 

WHAT IS THIS VESSEL?
A lidded ceramic vessel of this kind, called a futamono (蓋物) in Japanese, is used for sweets, small objects, display or serving. In the tea ceremony, the equivalent utensils include the mizusashi (水指), a jar for fresh water that is often ceramic with a matching lid, and the kashiki (菓子器), a vessel for sweets. Wide, low mizusashi are called hira-mizusashi (平水指). We have not confirmed which of these uses suits this piece best.

THE HAKEME BRUSHWORK
Hakeme (刷毛目) is a decorating technique in which white slip is brushed onto darker clay, leaving the sweep of the brush visible, and then covered with clear glaze. It began in Korea and appears widely on Joseon tea bowls. Here it decorates the underside of the lid, a detail revealed only when you lift it.

A NOTE ON STORING MATCHA
Matcha is delicate, and tea is traditionally stored in jars kept cool. A ceramic lid like this one is generally not airtight, so we do not recommend storing matcha powder directly inside. If you wish to use it for tea, place the powder in an airtight bag or tin inside the vessel.

DISPLAY AND USE
Sold as a collectible and decorative piece. The glaze composition has not been tested, so we do not recommend using it for food or drink unless you have it tested. The unglazed clay can absorb moisture, so avoid soaking and dishwashers.

CONDITION AND AUTHENTICITY
Sold as a [contemporary / vintage] Japanese-style lidded ceramic bowl, [maker unconfirmed]. Crackle, speckles and glaze variation are part of its character. Please review all photos and ask any question before buying.

SHIPPING
Packed in double-boxed protection with foam and paper cushioning, with the lid wrapped separately. Ships worldwide with tracking. Duties and taxes may apply on arrival.