A Hasami-ware kiln in Nagasaki Prefecture has crafted this same series of plates for us since 2000. When we designed this line, we were told that the plates should have a raised base. Instead, we chose to design plates with a flat base, something unheard of at the time. At first, the bottom would come out uneven, and the straight lines of the square plates were particularly difficult to maintain. We made countless prototypes in collaboration with several artisans who were involved in the process. The result was virtually a taboo in those years: a flat-bottomed plate. Nowadays, such plates have become common, but back then they were regarded as something only a beginner with no knowledge of ceramics would make.
A notable virtue of these plates is their stackability, which minimizes the space they occupy when stored. They are also relatively thin and lightweight. The unity of table and tableware that occurs when flat, low plates are placed on a table surface gives them a special presence. The simplicity of the plate’s shape brings out the richness of the materials. Besides glossy, pure white porcelain, the plates also come in two ceramic versions. One is coated with green Vidro glaze, which adds an attractive thickness to the corners of the dish. The other uses the lustrous, brush-applied Black Zaffer glaze.
