Brown Oribe Flower Holder (Hanaire) with Handles

This rare brown Oribe flower holder embodies the wabi-sabi aesthetic of Japanese tea culture. Its warm-brown iron glaze (ame-yū), typically achieved through oxidation firing at Mino, resembles the surface quality of Karatsu ware—perhaps reflecting the transfer of climbing-kiln technology from Karatsu to Mino. The vessel’s asymmetrical, rustic form recalls Iga ware, revealing stylistic crossover among the Oribe, Iga, and Karatsu traditions. In the macrophotograph, one side shows the clay’s warmer tone where the vessel was shielded from the kiln’s highest heat, while the opposite side vitrified fully. The distinct line dividing these zones records subtle variations in firing conditions—an unintentional yet revealing trace of the kiln atmosphere.