Twist Vessels / Small

This is a vessel with a twist that cannot be seen anywhere else.
The ceramic clay is made into thin threads and knotted together to create the twist, which would normally tear off at the right moment, but is done without tearing. This is the only place in the world where you can purchase this piece of art made by a over 90 year old legend. Please enjoy a beautiful vessel created by a Japanese legend?

Width：11cm
Depth：11cm
Height：7cm
Weight：140g

Clay

JUSEN ARAI

ARTISAN STORY

Kazuo Arai / Jusen Arai

ACHIEVEMENTS

・Received the Governor's Award at the Kyo Ware and Kiyomizu Ware Exhibition
・Received the Kyoto Prefecture Traditional Industry Excellent Technician Award
・Certified as a Traditional Craftsman

KYO WARE & KIYOMIZU WARE

About 1,200 years ago / 800s / Heian Period (794–1185)

Kyoto ceramics reach back to kilns operating before and during the Heian period, then expanded with tea culture in the Muromachi and Momoyama eras. In the seventeenth century, Nonomura Ninsei perfected brilliant overglaze decoration, followed by innovators such as Ogata Kenzan, Okuda Eisen and Aoki Mokubei, whose diverse approaches shaped today’s Kyo and Kiyomizu ware.

In Japan, these ceramics are famous precisely because there is no single fixed style. Tea bowls, kaiseki dishes and everyday tableware may use overglaze painting, blue-and-white decoration, gold, sancai-inspired color and many other techniques. The craft sits at the heart of Kyoto’s culture of pairing vessels with cuisine and tea.

The surprising point is that Kyoto was never defined by a single major clay deposit. Potters drew on materials such as Amakusa porcelain stone, techniques arriving from other regions, and the tastes of artists and patrons gathered in the capital. Freedom from one local material helped make Kyoto ceramics unusually hybrid and stylistically diverse.

Individual Differences

As each piece is individually handcrafted, slight variations in color, pattern, shape, and texture may occur. These subtle differences are a natural characteristic of handcrafted works, making each piece truly unique. We hope you will enjoy these individual variations as part of the beauty and character of Japanese craftsmanship.

Production Time

If an item is not currently in stock, it may be made to order by the artisan. As each piece is carefully handcrafted, production may take several months depending on the item and the artisan's schedule. We appreciate your patience and understanding.