Koie Ryoji was born in 1938 and raised in Tokoname, one of the six ancient pottery centers, where kilns have been in operation for more than a millennium. Though he came of age in a strong local pottery tradition, Koie's work has taken him far from home. He built a kiln in India in 1971, and has also worked actively in the United States, United Kingdom (for example, with Leach Pottery in St Ives), Europe and Australia. At the height of his career, he was an internationally celebrated ceramic artist and a tireless experimenter, constantly pushing the boundaries of both form and glaze. His natural skill for ceramics, as well as his free and easy spirit, shines through in his work, and he is especially well-known for his tea bowls and high-shouldered jars among many others. Koie also created work for his own use, such as cups, tea bowls and plates for daily use. His works have a practical manner to them, while also capturing the contemporary spirit of a celebrated potter. This particular tea bowl exemplifies one of his favored forms: a cylindrical, wheel-thrown vessel animated by freely cut slices and incisions, executed with a sense of spontaneity across its surface whether by glaze or surface incisions. It is finished in a glossy, dark glaze— fluid and organic in character— combining semi-opaque brown iron and persimmon tones.