Japan Koishiwara Tobikanna Appetizer Bowl (Ø14cm)

The gosunzara takes its name from a traditional Japanese unit of measurement — five sun, roughly 14cm across — and its higher rim is what sets it apart from a flat serving plate. Dishes with a little liquid, simmered vegetables, or anything that might shift sit comfortably within it. The rim height also makes it easy to manoeuvre food with chopsticks, guiding pieces toward the edge rather than chasing them across an open surface.

The texture covering the piece is tobikanna, a chatter-cut technique in which a flexible blade bounces against the clay as it rotates on the wheel, leaving a repeating geometric pattern in relief. Koishiwara ware has been made in Toho Village, Fukuoka Prefecture, since 1682. Each piece is thrown and decorated by hand, so the pattern and form vary slightly from one to the next.