Spiral Map Chawan

Into the dark surface of this chawan, a spiral pattern has been carved or impressed — concentric curved lines that describe a labyrinth or fingerprint, a map of some interior territory. The pattern fills much of one face of the bowl, and where the ash glaze has settled into the carved channels, it glows golden against the dark ground.

The form is round and generous. The interior visible in the photograph is rough with ash and glaze residue — raw and honest. This is a chawan that rewards slow turning in the hands: each view offers the lines from a different angle, and the spiral seems to deepen as the light changes.