Japan Koishiwara Tobikanna Small Condiments Bowl (Ø9.7cm)

The kozara is Koishiwara ware's smallest dish — roughly 10cm across and 3cm deep, just the right size for soy sauce, a few pickles, or a small side of condiment at the table. The texture covering the surface is tobikanna, a chatter-cut technique: a flexible blade is held against the clay as it turns on the wheel, bouncing lightly to leave a repeating geometric pattern in relief. White slip applied beneath catches in the grooves, giving each piece its characteristic two-tone quality.

Koishiwara ware has been produced in Toho Village, Fukuoka Prefecture, since 1682 — one of Japan's oldest active pottery traditions. Each piece is thrown and decorated by hand, so the pattern and exact form vary slightly from one to the next.