Bowl with “daybreak” glaze.

Hiroshi Koie

Making teapots and larger pieces using reddish brown clay unique to Tokoname and feldspar glaze. After firing, the vessel is smoked and fired to create a gradation of akebono (dawn) colors. Teapots are my specialty, and I not only use traditional reddish brown clay, but also black clay, and techniques such as color variation from smoking and firing, vermillion grind polishing and nishiki dasuki (original technique to make sash patterns by wrapping straw on the vessel when firing).