Japanese Shino-Oribe Chidori Bowl
A handcrafted Shino-Oribe bowl by Shuhoe Kiln, based in Dachi, Toki City, Gifu Prefecture, one of Japan’s historic centers of Mino ware.
The bowl features a softly irregular, hand-formed silhouette resting on three small feet. A warm, milky Shino glaze covers the surface, while expressive iron-painted decoration moves freely across the interior and exterior.
Small chidori (plovers) appear in flight throughout the bowl. Chidori are a traditional motif in Japanese decorative arts, often associated with perseverance and overcoming difficulties, particularly when depicted traveling across waves and water. Here, their loose, almost calligraphic rendering gives the vessel a playful sense of movement.
The uneven rim, subtle variations in the glaze, and spontaneous brushwork preserve the character of the making process, giving each piece its own individual presence.
Traditionally rooted in the form of a mukōzuke, an individual serving vessel for sashimi, seasonal appetizers, and small dishes.
Handcrafted by Shuhoe Kiln in Dachi, Toki City, Gifu Prefecture, Japan.
Dimensions: ⌀ 5.75 x H 2.25"
About Shuhoe Kiln: Shuhoe Kiln (秀峰) is a pottery workshop based in Dachi, Toki City, Gifu Prefecture, in the heart of Japan’s historic Mino-ware region. Rooted in this centuries-old ceramic tradition, Shuhoe’s tableware is handcrafted using techniques and aesthetics passed down through generations of Mino pottery, with expressive glazing, softly irregular forms, and hand-painted decoration at the heart of the work.
The ceramic history of the greater Toki region stretches back approximately 1,400 years, beginning with the making of early Sue stoneware. Mino ware entered an especially important period of artistic development during the Azuchi–Momoyama period of the late 16th and early 17th centuries, when distinctive styles including Shino, Oribe, Ki-Seto, and Setoguro emerged. Their unconventional forms, expressive brushwork, and innovative approaches to glaze became defining characteristics of Mino ceramics.
Within this region, Dachi developed as an important pottery town with a particular tradition of handcrafted functional vessels and bowls. Generations of craftspeople have shaped the area’s ceramic identity, carrying techniques originally associated with tea and formal dining into objects intended for everyday use.
Shuhoe continues within this lineage through vessels that draw upon the traditional language of Shino and Oribe. Warm, softly varied glazes, iron-painted brushwork, irregular contours, and subtle traces of the hand give the pieces an individual character. Rather than seeking perfect uniformity, these variations allow the qualities of clay, glaze, firing, and craftsmanship to remain visible in the finished vessel.
