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What makes this chawan special
The up close look and feel
The exterior is pale and soft, white glaze covering most of the surface with warm salmon-pink where the red Hagi clay shows through. The texture is finer than Oni-Hagi but still present: small granules catch the light across the glazed surface, and the craquelé runs in fine lines throughout. Inside the bowl, something else is happening.
A deep reddish-brown flame mark sweeps across the base and up one side, the result of kiln atmosphere during firing, where heat and oxygen moved unevenly through the chamber and left their path written in iron. The bowl feels settled and warm in the hands.
Charming details
Two marks, in two different places, confirm whose hands made this. On the base, just inside the foot ring, there is a small impressed character: 淡, the first character of Tanga's name, pressed into the clay before firing. On the tomobako, the same name appears again in his own handwriting.
But inside the bowl there is a third mark that no one signed: the flame trace left by the kiln itself during firing, a broad sweep of reddish-brown across the base where heat and iron met at the decisive moment. Every bowl fired in that kiln came out differently. This is what this one carried out.
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Hirose Tanga (廣瀬淡雅) is the second generation of the Tsubaki-gama Tenpōzan kiln.
The kiln was founded by his father Hirose Nanshū (廣瀬南州).
Born in Shōwa 14 (1939) in Shimane Prefecture, Tanga trained under master potters Notomi Tomori (納富智利) and Andō Yoshiaki (安藤嘉章) before taking over the family practice in Hagi.
His work was first selected for the Kyūshū and Yamaguchi ceramic exhibitions in Shōwa 41 (1966), and continued to be selected across the following decades.
He became a full member of the Shin-Kyōkai Fine Arts Association (新協美術会) in Shōwa 55 (1980) and received the Shin-Kyōkai Doryoku Prize (努力賞) in Shōwa 57 (1982). The Tenpōzan kiln holds the official 伝統工芸品 (Traditional Craft) designation from the Japanese government, trademark registration No.4-130116.
This bowl was made during the mature period of his career and carries his personal name stamp 淡 on the base.
The tomobako is signed in his hand with his personal red hanko. The shiori contains his full printed biography.
Included: original tomobako, original shiori with full biography and kiln documentation.
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Made at the Tsubaki-gama Tenpōzan kiln (椿窯 天鵬山), Tsubakihigashi district, Hagi City, Yamaguchi Prefecture.
Heisei era, ca 1990 - 2000.
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Height: 9 cm.
Diameter: 12.5 cm.
Weight: 335 gram.
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Excellent vintage condition, no chips, cracks or repairs.
Appears to be unused.
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Hagi-yaki is porous and should never go in the dishwasher.
Before first use, fill the bowl with cold water and allow it to soak for several hours so the clay can absorb slowly.
After each use, rinse thoroughly and allow to dry completely before storing.
Do not use detergent or a dishwasher.
Over time, tea absorbed into the porous clay will gradually deepen the colour of the glaze. This is cha-nare (茶慣れ) and it is what Hagi bowls are made for.
*Decorative items such as the whisk are for styling
and scale purposes only and not included in the sale
All Hirose items made at Tsubaki-gama Tenpōzan kiln
Meet our other tea ceremony items
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