Oribe ware

Oribe ware (also known as 織部焼 Oribe-yaki) is a style of Japanese pottery that first appeared in the sixteenth century. It is a type of Japanese stoneware recognized by its freely-applied glaze as well as its dramatic visual departure from the more somber, monochrome shapes and vessels common in Raku ware of the time. The ceramics were often asymmetrical, embracing the eccentricity of randomized shapes. Deformed shapes were not at all uncommon. These shapes were achieved through the implementation of moulding as a technique, as opposed to working on a potter’s wheel. Sometimes, bowls were so deformed that they became difficult to use – whisking tea could even become a difficult task.