① Product Description
In Okinawa, a rice bowl is called a makai.
The moment I picked this one up, I felt its solid weight and the cool, quiet texture of the clay. A muted gray surface, carved with flowing karakusa — an arabesque of curling vines — in deep indigo blue. My hand stopped. I just looked at it for a moment.
At about 15 cm across (a Japanese 5-sun measurement), this makai is slightly generous in size — perfect not only as a rice bowl, but as a soup bowl too. Fill it with tonjiru, or with Okinawan inamuduchi miso soup, and it becomes a scene straight from the island table.
A maker's stamp is pressed into the foot — a single kanji, hand-carved. Every piece is shaped, glazed, and incised by hand, and no two are exactly alike.
I choose things I want to reach for every single day. This makai is one of them. Why not let your everyday bowl be one that carries a little of the island with it?
② Dimensions & Weight
- Height: 3.0 in (7.5 cm)
- Width / Diameter: 5.9 in (15 cm)
- Depth: 5.9 in (15 cm)
- Weight: 8.8 oz (248.1 g)
③ Capacity
Capacity: approximately 13.6 fl oz (402 ml)
④ Materials
Stoneware clay with lead-free glaze. The exterior is finished in a muted gray glaze and carved with flowing karakusa (arabesque vine) lines highlighted in deep indigo blue. Lead- and cadmium-free as confirmed by the artisan.
⑤ Origin
Handmade in Tsuboya, Naha, Okinawa, Japan by Takaesu Pottery Studio (Yasushi Takaesu).
⑥ Handmade Note
Each piece is one-of-a-kind. Slight variations in color, texture, and size are a natural part of the handmaking process — and part of its charm.
⑦ Care Instructions
Hand wash only. Not microwave safe. Not dishwasher safe. Not induction cooktop compatible. Avoid sudden temperature changes.
⑧ Food Safe Statement
Made with lead-free glaze as confirmed by the artisan. Third-party laboratory certification is in progress. This product currently includes a Prop 65 warning out of an abundance of caution while certification is pending.
⑨ Prop 65 Warning
⚠ WARNING: This product can expose you to chemicals including lead, which is known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm. For more information go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov.
⑩ Shipping Note
Fragile item — packaged with great care to ensure safe delivery. Ships from San Francisco, CA.
