As popular artists, we have been attracting attention from domestic pottery markets and Instagram. Despite just starting as a first-generation ceramic store, we have become a rising star in the Japanese ceramic art world. Next to our workshop is a store and cafe for people to visit. We value handmade, hand-painting art and make various vessels by hand using whetstones mined in the town Tobe located in Ehime Prefecture, which inherits the culture of "Tobeyaki".

In Japan, the place where goods and products are produced is called the "production area", and the place called the “production area of pottery" is mainly where the raw materials are mined. Various craftsmen work there using the soil and raw materials unique to the area.

We are located in Tobe-cho, Ehime Prefecture, where white rocks called pottery stones are mined, and porcelain vessels made from those pottery stones are called "tobe-yaki".

Many people have the impression that tobe-yaki is a type of dyed tableware that has a bold brush stroke drawn in a simple blue, unadorned shape. However, we are not bound by that frame of thought and create a variety of designs for our tobe-yaki.

Handmade and hand-painted dishes have a unique charm that machine production does not have. They have an almost "personality" that you can see when you pick them up.

Since each dish is handmade and hand-painted, there are individual differences in the size and painting. The color(s) also depends on the time of firing. So we hope you will enjoy it as a unique handmade textile.

When we worked on these dishes, we had a desire to make not only a traditional dish but one that expresses our uniqueness as creators. Using a potter’s wheel we made a dish called a "rinkabachi", which has a somewhat flower shape, where we were able to smoothly change the shape of the edges.

However, the rim became fragile when the edges were modified or cut, which became a big hindrance. We were able to change the shape to the current flower pattern due to our desire for it to be used as an everyday dish.

To make a flower shape, first, make a round bowl and cut it with a bow-shaped wire cutter before it becomes hard. If the edges of the dish are too hard, it will not cut, and if it is too soft, the dish will become deformed, so the hardness when cutting is very important. There is no guide, we cut based on skills and knowledge without any hesitation.

The clay used for the ceramics is made from a porcelain stone mined in Tobe. The porcelain soil is hard and strong due to high-temperature firing, so it is a very suitable material for everyday dishes.

Introducing the details of the colorful and vivid designs!

1. Cloisonne Tie (Shippou-tsunagi)

A pattern in which circular loops are connected. It is one of the favorable traditional Japanese patterns that wish for peacefulness, harmony, and fate.

2. Dots / Lines

The smallest part of the design, a point or line. It is simple but gives a strong impression, and harmonizes to adjacent patterns.

3. Painted Polka Dots

Colorful polka dots that leave a little extra eye-catching impression.

Color Scheme

By using blue to make the sketch overpainting with red, green, and yellow, we want to add some color to the dining table.

All you need to do is just wash it clean. Unlike pottery, there is no need for prep work such as sealing before using.

• The ceramic dishes can be used in both the dishwasher and microwave. However, to avoid the risk of cracking, be cautious of sudden temperature changes (hot/cold contrast).
• Since the overpainted (red, green, yellow) part is baked on the glaze, it may come off if rubbed with a hard object. In addition, after many years of use due to deterioration over time, the overpainting may lose its luster, discolor, or peel off.
• The overpainted (red, green, yellow) part may be discolored if acidic substances such as vinegar are left in it for a long time.
  

The deep bowl type looks great when served with salad or pasta. Stewed dishes with liquids are of course also OK.

The flat plate type is for serving small dishes such as bread or other side dishes.

The 7inch flower plate is just the right size for desserts like cakes.

⭐New for Kickstarter⭐
Morning Glory Flower Bowl

Each bowl is cut into a flower shape, has a lovely patchwork-like pattern, and has 7 types of dyeing and overpainting applied. The painting that plays the role of color makes it a gorgeous treat. It is useful as a special bowl or dessert bowl.

7 inch/18cm Flower Plate

Each bowl is cut into a flower shape, has a lovely patchwork-like pattern, and has 7 types of dyeing and overpainting applied. Just the right size for small dishes like cakes or bread.

8 inch/21cm Flower Plate

Each bowl is cut into a flower shape, has a lovely patchwork-like pattern, and has 9 types of dyeing and overpainting applied. Due to it having just the right amount of depth and having some flat areas, you can use it with assorted dishes, even ones with that have some juices.

Flower Bowl (large)

Each bowl is cut into a flower shape, has a lovely patchwork-like pattern, and has 10 types of dyeing and overpainting applied. It is the largest size in the colorful crest series. It is extremely gorgeous and has a strong presence.

Toubouyuu - Tobe-cho, Ehime Prefecture

Keiji Matsuda

Born in Tobe-cho, Ehime in 1975

I studied under Masataka Nakata at tobe-yaki’s "Nakata-gama" (Nakata Kiln). After eight years of training, I opened a kiln in 2003. I mainly work from the potter's wheel molding the pottery.

When making a new dish, while discussing it as a couple, the form of the dish that my wife imagines is made just like that, in a blink of an eye. I made the backbone of the dish that can handle fine shape adjustments to the shape.

While painting something so delicately that calls for control of a brush, I feel like I have found another skill.

Naoko Matsuda

Born in Hiroshima in 1980

I studied architecture in college and got a job at a local residential building company. Then I moved to Tobe in Ehime Prefecture in 2006 when I got married. At the pottery shop Toubouyuu, opened by my husband, Keiji Matsuda, we work hand and hand to make pottery like it was a three-legged race. I started to work mainly on painting, design, and sales. My original favorite topics like "living" and "food" began to have something in common with these dishes to where I enjoyed aiming to make dishes that were not viewed as just a dish but also from the viewpoint of daily life.

We, as a couple, also like to cook, and are constantly designing dishes by exchanging opinions with each other so that we can "make dishes for the means of use" with our daily dining table as a hint.

I am making pottery every day so that everyone's dining table will be enriched.