Handmade Camellia Bowl. Wheel-thrown, Hand Carved Neriage Technique. Ceramic Pottery.

Hand Carved Camellia Pink and Light Gray Neriage Bowl
Measures: 5-1/4" wide x 3-3/8" high. (8 cm high x 13 cm wide)

Holds approximately 2-1/2 cups of liquid (20 ounces)
This bowl weighs 1 pound (454 grams)

INSIDE:
Glazed with a Food Safe, Glossy Clear. The inside top portion is glazed with a glossy, dark pink that drips down the sides . Pale pink speckles float over the top of the dark pink. Bottom inside is light grey, and the swirl is subtly visible with dark pink at the very center of the bottom.

If you're using this bowl as a Matcha tea bowl, the inside of the bowl is smooth as to not damage the bamboo whisk prongs (chasen).
Typically, Matcha bowls should be between 4-1/2 - 5 inches in diameter, to accommodate the whisk for frothing, easy to pick up with a smooth rim for drinking. 
This bowl is 5-1/4" wide. Half cylinder shape if using this bowl as a chawan, or tea bowl.

Glazed with dinnerware safe glazes.
Standard 365 Porcelain Clay.
Fired to Cone 6 (2232 degrees F.)
Dishwasher, microwave safe
Because of the delicate hand carving, it is best to hand wash this bowl.

How it’s Made

This bowl was created on the potter's wheel utilizing the neriage technique of colored porcelain. I color my own Standard 365 Porcelain Clay with Mason Stains.

In this particular piece, a pale sage grey was placed on the potter's wheel with the addition of a dark pink colored porcelain on top of the grey. As the wheel spins, and the sides of the bowl are compressed and pulled up at the same time, this creates a swirling effect, where the two colors merge. This effect is especially noticeable where the dark pink wraps around the bowl in the light grey area. The bowl was allowed to rest for a couple of days under a plastic bucket. When the porcelain clay reached leather hard stage (clay is still moist, but not wet), six equal parts were measured around the circumference to accommodate six Camellia Japonicas. Each camellia was hand carved using rather simple carving tools. Petals were carved in bas-relief (low relief). Alternating the top of a camellia with the bottom of a camellia.

After the initial (bisque firing) the bowl was glaze fired to Cone 6 (2232ºF)