Japanese Hana Akae Hand-painted Floral Bowl
Handcrafted in Seto, one of Japan’s great pottery towns, this bowl by Kōbō Yuzuriha (工房ゆずりは) brings together the warmth of clay with the delicacy of painting by hand.
The earthen body is first dressed in a layer of white slip (化粧土, keshōdo), creating a softly luminous ground for the decoration. Each floral motif is then carefully painted by hand before the piece is fired at approximately 1,250°C. The process leaves subtle traces of the maker—the movement of a brush, shifts in color and glaze, and the gentle irregularities that give handmade pottery its life.
The decoration is known as Hana Akae (花赤絵)—literally “floral red painting.” It draws on the Japanese tradition of akae, decorative painting characterized by warm red tones and often accompanied by other colors. Here, the traditional language of floral decoration feels loose and painterly, with blossoms unfolding across the creamy surface of the bowl.
Yuzuriha takes its name from the yuzuriha tree, whose older leaves give way only after new leaves have appeared. In Japan, it has come to symbolize renewal, continuity and the passing of something cherished from one generation to the next.
Made to be held, used and enjoyed, each Yuzuriha bowl is slightly different. Variations in brushwork, glaze, color and form are not imperfections, but quiet evidence of the hands and processes that made it.
Dimensions: Ø 4.5" x H 2.5"
Food-safe.
About Kōbō Yuzuriha: Established in 1993 in Seto, Japan, Kōbō Yuzuriha is a distinctive kiln founded by five women artisans and known for its richly expressive, hand-painted ceramics. Today, the kiln continues to be shaped by the skilled hands of women makers and painters.
Each piece begins with warm Seto clay, dressed in a soft white slip (化粧土) before intricate florals are painted by hand. Layers of color, delicate brushwork, and subtle variations give every vessel a character of its own.
The name Yuzuriha comes from an evergreen whose older leaves give way as new ones emerge—a Japanese symbol of renewal, continuity, and passing something cherished from one generation to the next.
