Chef's Table vol.8
Episode 4
【深淵】ー 利休の漆黒、内なる宇宙への没入 ー
大陸への憧れも過去への追従も焼き切るため、利休は降臨しました。 彼が求めたのは、きらびやかな青でも曖昧な灰でもない、自らの精神を鋭く映し出す「漆黒」です。 最高温度の窯から引き出され、急冷される命がけの「瀬戸黒」。それは模倣の歴史を終わらせる、決定的な断絶の儀式でした。 この漆黒が内包するのは、完全を否定し、削ぎ落とした先にある不完全さに無限の宇宙を見出す「詫」の精神。装飾を拒み、静寂を極めた器は、外の世界を遮断し、自らの内なる深淵へと没入していくための依代となります。
[The Abyss] — Rikyu’s Jet-Black: Immersing into the Inner Universe —
To incinerate all longing for foreign ideals and all blind adherence to the past, Sen no Rikyu descended.
What he demanded was neither a brilliant blue nor an ambiguous gray, but a piercing, absolute jet-black that would reflect his own raw spirit.
Born of a life-or-death technique where the vessel is pulled from the peak-temperature kiln and instantly quenched, "Seto-Guro" (Seto Black) was a ritual of profound severance—a definitive rupture designed to end the history of imitation.
Enclosed within this darkness is the very essence of Wabi: the aesthetic that rejects flawless perfection, finding an infinite universe instead in the stripped-back and incomplete.
Defying all ornament and pushing stillness to its limit, this vessel serves as a sacred medium to shut out the external world and immerse oneself entirely into the abyss of the inner soul.
瀬戸黒 足付皿 (No.1)
利休が求めた漆黒の宇宙、その圧倒的な精神性を宿した足付皿です。
これまでの憧れや模倣の歴史を焼き切るかのような「引き出し黒」の技法を用い、窯の最高温度から一気に引き出すことで、深淵な鉄黒の肌質を定着させています。
漆黒の中に浮かぶ大胆な白い景色とは対照的に、裏面にはあえて釉薬を乗せずに土肌を剥き出しにした大胆な景色が広がり、その素朴な質感の対比さえも意匠として愉しめる仕上がりです。
取り皿や銘々皿としてはもちろん、コース料理の主菜や特別なひと皿を厳かに引き立てるアクセントとしても、テーブルの上で無限の使い道が広がります。
器の底面に配された3本の足は、日本の伝統的な形式に則り、手前に2点、奥に1点がくるよう精緻に設計されています。これは視覚的な美しさだけでなく、現代の食卓での使いやすさと安定感を徹底的に追求した、川口氏ならではの細やかな美学の現れです。
サイズ：W190 ×D180 × H30 (mm)
重量：500(g)
材質：陶器
Seto-guro Footed Plate (No.1)
This footed Seto-guro (Seto Black) plate harbors the profound spirituality of the absolute black universe sought by Rikyū.
Utilizing the dramatic "Hikidashi-guro" technique—where the clay is pulled directly from the kiln at its peak temperature to burn away all imitation—it permanently captures a deep, iron-black texture.
In stunning contrast to the bold white scars drifting in the pitch black, the reverse reveals a striking scene where the raw clay is left intentionally unglazed.
This juxtaposition of rustic textures becomes a beautiful feature to admire, bringing a sleek, authoritative presence to contemporary table settings.
Perfect as a side plate or individual serving dish, it functions beautifully as an imposing accent to solemnly elevate main courses or signature creations, opening up endless possibilities on your table.
The distinctive three-footed base is precisely engineered with two feet in the front and one in the back.
Grounded in traditional Japanese formal display, this layout provides exceptional visual and functional stability, embodying Kawaguchi’s subtle yet rigorous dedication to craftsmanship that seamlessly fits today’s dining experience.
size：W190 ×D180 × H30 (mm)
Weight：500(g)
material：pottery
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
川口 雅史
MASAFUMI KAWAGUCHI
美濃桃山陶の精神を今に伝える陶芸家。
瀬戸黒、織部、黄瀬戸、志野といった、400年前の桃山時代から脈々と受け継がれてきた伝統技法を忠実に継承しながら、現代の食卓に響くクリエイションを続けています。
氏の作品を彩る鮮烈な絵付けは、当時描かれていた意匠をモチーフに、すべて膨大な資料から独学で紐解き、自らの感性で再構築したもの。
伝統の型に嵌まるだけでなく、弥七田織部に代表されるような遊び心に富んだ作風で、古田織部が愛した「ひょうげた心（遊びと変革）」を鮮やかに現代へ翻訳します。
A ceramic artist who breathes contemporary life into the historic spirit of Mino Momoyama ceramics.
While faithfully inheriting traditional techniques passed down since the 400-year-old Momoyama period—spanning Seto-guro, Oribe, Ki-Seto, and Shino—he continues to create pieces that deeply resonate with the modern dining experience.
The vivid motifs adorning his works are deeply rooted in the designs of that era, entirely self-taught through meticulous research of vast historical documents and archives, then reconstructed through his own unique sensibility.
Far from merely fitting into traditional molds, his work is rich with playfulness—reminiscent of Yashichida Oribe—brilliantly translating the original spirit of Oribe’s "hyouge" (a philosophy of playfulness and revolutionary change) into the modern era.
