Gorobe Kiln is a Bizen ware kiln located in Kagato, Bizen City, Okayama Prefecture. Founded in 1867 as the brewing house Buyo Gorobe Shoten, it established its Bizen ware division in 1979. Listed as an affiliated kiln of the Okayama Prefecture Bizen Pottery Association (Toyokai Cooperative), it upholds the creation of vessels that combine practical functionality with dignity and deep aesthetic charm. It is a kiln dedicated to crafting works that evoke comfort and a sense of nostalgic warmth in those who hold them.
Bizen ware is a ceramic tradition originating around the Imbe area of Bizen City, Okayama Prefecture. Because it is fired at high temperatures without glaze (yakishime), the kiln transmutation (yohen) forged by clay and flame becomes the vessel's expression itself. The main body of this piece was fired using the sangiri technique, where yellowish-brown speckles emerge across a gray to purplish-brown ground created by reduction firing within the kiln embers. The body is ovoid, featuring indentations of various sizes along the sides resembling finger presses, allowing the fingers to rest naturally when held in hand. The top of the lid also features an indentation for resting a finger and a small air hole. The spout is short and curves downward. The kiln explains that pieces of this design are crafted with deliberate ingenuity to prevent dripping.
The accompanying saucer is an unglazed yakishime small dish displaying hidasuki (reddish-brown linear markings that emerge from wrapping rice straw during firing) across its interior. Line carvings and an impressed seal stamp are visible inside the foot ring. Because the firing landscape and mark differ from those of the dispenser body, the saucer may be the work of another kiln. Please understand that it has been paired separately with the main vessel.
While originally crafted as a vessel for pouring soy sauce at the dining table, our shop also proposes it as a water dropper for adding minute drops of water to vintage whisky and spirits. By filling the body with water and covering or releasing the air hole on the lid with a fingertip, the amount of water dripping from the spout can be finely regulated. You can enjoy the experience of savoring whisky—whose aroma and flavor profile transform with just a small splash of water—alongside a Bizen ware vessel that rests comfortably in the palm of your hand.
Artist / Maker: Gorobe Kiln（五郎辺衛窯）
Major Career Highlights: [1867] Founded as brewing house Buyo Gorobe Shoten; [1979] Established Bizen ware division
Museum Collections: No confirmed public institutional collection records
Period of Production: From 1979 onward (after the establishment of Gorobe Kiln's Bizen ware division)
Item Condition: Very good (no chips, cracks, or hairline cracks)
Accessories: Saucer (may be a work from a different kiln)
Dimensions: Body: Width (including spout) approx. 9.5 cm, Depth approx. 7.5 cm, Height (including lid) approx. 8.5 cm, Capacity approx. 150 ml / Saucer: Diameter approx. 9.5 cm, Height approx. 2.0 cm
Note: All items offered by our shop, even if new and unused, were produced a very long time ago, and all are therefore listed as pre-owned. Items may show age-related wear or damage. Please understand and confirm this before considering a purchase.
