This bowl was made at the family pottery business of Hiroshi Otsu, in the town of Kasama.

With a tradition dating back several centuries, to when it farmers converted themselves into potters to supply the needs for utensils of the expanding city of Tokyo to the south - Kasama remains home to a lively ceramics scene.

Hiroshi Otsu is both head of the pottery union in Kasama, and head of his family’s ceramics works: Otsu Koyo.

At the centre of his work is the skill of the craftsperson. While there is talk of designers, and adapting to new consumer trends, working by hand, and with quality are non-negotiable in Otsu’s world.

This rice bowl is from a series made to exhibit the properties of the clay local to Kasama.

It is decorated with chattering achieved using a tobikanna pottery chisel.

With a diameter of 11cm, it has a height of 6cm. It weighs 150g.

As each piece is handmade, there can be slight variations between them.