Hagi bowls are fired in Hagi, Yamaguchi Prefecture, and are characterised by a soft body and kannyu, the fine crazing of the glaze. Tea seeps into the crazing with use and the appearance of the bowl develops over years, a change known as Hagi no nanabake, "the seven transformations of Hagi".
History
Hagi ware is held to have been started in the Keicho era by Korean potters, Yi Sukkwang and Yi Kyong among them, and served as the official kiln of the Mori house, transmitting bowl-making across generations. The Saka and Miwa families continue to make bowls today.
Types
The softness of the body, the fineness of the crazing, and the way the glaze runs are the points of interest. Lines include shiro-Hagi (white), biwa-yu (loquat glaze), and oni-Hagi (coarse-bodied), each with its own appearance.
In practice
Because it develops with use, a Hagi bowl is the natural choice for a practitioner's own long-term bowl rather than for a single formal occasion. It stands second in the ichi Raku, ni Hagi, san Karatsu ordering — a ranking of standing in tea, not of ceramic merit.
About this article
Edited by the operator of Chaen (a one-person operation) / Last updated:
Tea ceremony descriptions can vary by school and source. Where interpretations differ, this glossary avoids definitive claims and focuses on broadly shared understandings. If you notice an error, please let us know viaContact. To learn about our organization, seeAbout Chaen.
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