Oni-Shino Chawan [rice bowl]

This beautiful piece of Shino is known as 'Oni-Shino' or devil-shino - according to my friend Seiko who was at the flea market for the last time today. He finally got the permit to bring his dog to Japan, so he is headed home. it's sad for me, because i learned so much from him in the brief time i spent with him each month. This is a very special and LARGE chawan.

here's a description of Shino from Savory Japan Tableware:

Shino
Shino-yaki is one of the most loved varieties of ceramics, both for the table and the tearoom. Named for its Shino glaze, which ranges from snowy white to deep cream and on to grey and even orange — and thick, curdled texture that often shows small holes, what’s not to love? Spiritual, ephemeral and other-worldly, Shino-yaki is certainly distinctive in its zen-like simplicity.

We like to use Shino ware in winter, as the glaze reminds us of snow and the thick glaze which covers usually thick vessels holds the heat of a cup of tea so well.

Technique
This was Japan’s first white glaze, and is made of ground feldspar mixed with clay. Where the glaze is thin, the feldspar sometimes stains the clay either deep brown, called okoge (scorch) or bright red, called hi-e (fire marks). These accidental marks — so beautiful, yet unpredictable — are loved by connoisseurs of tea.

History
Shino first appeared in the Momoyama era (1568-1600) but the glaze fell out of favor in the early 18th century when green and brown Oribe glazes became popular. In the 19th century, there was a brief resurgence, after which it disappeared until the 20th century.