Aurora in Clay — Shino Wood-Fired Chawan

Aurora in Clay

Tip this cup toward the light and the interior ignites — a striking wash of iridescent blue, violet, and pearl-white, shifting and shimmering like the aurora borealis reflected in still water. The exterior tells a different story: a dense, crawled landscape of olive-green, mossy grey, and chalk-white Shino glaze, textured like lichen on ancient stone, or the surface of a forest floor after rain. Together, they make this wide, open chawan one of the most quietly distinctive pieces to come from the kiln.

Glaze & Surface

The exterior is blanketed in a richly crawled Shino glaze — dense islands of white and pale grey rising from a ground of warm olive-green and moss, with flashes of teal and lavender where the wood-fire atmosphere touched the surface at peak temperature. The texture is deeply three-dimensional: tactile, grounding, and endlessly interesting to the touch. The rim is warm brown-gold, smooth and inviting against the lips. The interior is the revelation: a luminous, iridescent field of blue-violet and pearl-white, fractured by a delicate network of crackle lines — glossy, alive, and specific to this firing. It is like looking into a tide pool, or a piece of labradorite held up to morning light.

Form & Feel

• Wide, open chawan form — generous and bowl-like, made to be cradled in both hands
• Substantial weight with excellent heat retention
• Deeply textured exterior — grounding and tactile to hold
• Luminous, iridescent interior — a world revealed with every sip
• Warm brown-gold rim — smooth and refined

The Iridescence That Cannot Be Planned

The distinctive blue-violet iridescence of this cup's interior is the result of iron, copper, and titanium compounds in the glaze reacting with the wood-fire atmosphere at peak temperature — a chemical event that cannot be controlled, predicted, or repeated. Every cup that emerges with this depth of iridescence is a specific to this firing gift from the kiln.

For the collector who finds the beauty in everyday objects. A cup that brings a reflective quality to a tea session. One of a kind, never to be repeated.

Care

Suitable for contact with tea. Hand wash gently and avoid abrasive cleaners. Variations and firing marks are part of this one-of-a-kind handmade piece.