Tenmoku tea bowls are prized in formal Japanese tea gatherings, and are distinguished by their conical shape and a deep brown glaze with iridescent lines. Furutani formed this bowl on a potter’s wheel before carefully trimming away the clay to carve its smooth, curved rim. Imperfections in the glaze created a soft, pebbly texture across the bowl’s surfaces. When the piece was fired, glaze gathered around the foot of the bowl to form thick undulating waves.