Shoe tea bowl c. 20th century

Ishida Chihiro created this tea bowl, now at the Minneapolis Institute of Art, from clay, which is such a generous material. I can imagine Chihiro carefully building the bowl up, bit by bit, feeling the texture and weight of the clay in their hands, letting the form emerge organically. The surface is mottled with earthy browns and greys, like a landscape in miniature. It's like Chihiro let the kiln do some of the work, allowing the heat and atmosphere to create these unpredictable colorations. I bet they thought a lot about the long history of the form, the tradition of the tea ceremony, and how to make something both functional and expressive. When I look at it, I imagine holding it in my hands, feeling its rough texture, sipping tea and contemplating the simple beauty of the object. It’s a conversation that Chihiro started, and that we continue each time we look at and use the bowl.