Japanese Noodle Bowl

Designer
Maker
Marks	“Japan” stamped in black ink on footring.  Hand-painted fruit motif to inside side of bowl.  Dimpled pattern to exterior to give a type of basket-weave effect with  brown glaze to handle.
Description	Wheel thrown earthenware bowl covered in cream slip and gloss glaze with short flat handle as part of the bowl, protruding about 1cm above the rim.  Short pointed area opposite handle
Condition	Good
Number
Production Date	1980s
Width	130mm
Depth	45mm
Length (with handle)	140mm
Weight	175gm
Volume	250ml
Acquisition	Waverley Antiques Nov 2011
Rameking Reference Number	Jap 001-004

Probably better described as “Noodle Bowls” or maybe desert bowls, these Japanese ramekins have a short moulded handle protruding above the rim of the bowl; they are designed to both hold chopsticks as they rest on the rim because the rim is angle backwards towards the handle, as well as to give a thumb hold.  In Asia, they are usually sold in sets with notches for chopsticks, but in Australia, likely to have been sold as just the bowls.  Most noodle bowls are just that, bowls.  These have just that slight touch of understated design that the Japanese are famous for.


These ramekins are made from earthenware clay that is baked to become hard and compact It is a hard, semi-fired and absorbent clay used for both decorative and construction products. The colours can range from grayish to dark reddish-orange, light to medium reddish-brown, or strong brown to brownish or deep orange.  It is lightly fired, unglazed earthenware usually reddish in colour. It has frequently been used by sculptors and modelers to produce models or studies for more finished pieces in other materials.

Classically, most earthenware has a red coloring, due to the use of iron rich clays.  However, this is not always the case, and for the modern potter, white and buff colored earthenware clays were commercially available.  It can be as thin as bone china and other porcelains, though it is not translucent and is more easily chipped.  Earthenware is also less strong, less tough, and more porous than stoneware, but its low cost and easier working compensate for these deficiencies. Due to its higher porosity, earthenware must usually be glazed in order to be watertight.

A lot of people have ramekins that were made in Japan.  They began to arrive in Australia after the Trade Agreement between the two countries was signed on the 6^th of July 1957.  Australia thus became the first country to trade with Japan after World War 2.  Because of the standard of living in the respective countries at the time, trade was mostly one way for manufactured goods.  The signing of this agreement began a shift in Australia’s reliance on Great Britain, with Japan quickly becoming Australia’s most important trading partner. Initially, their ramekins were copies of existing Australian makers with a few decorative changes.  This was common practice for the times as many Australian makers copied other designs anyway.  Copyright compliance in Australia was viewed somewhat more flexibly than today.  

It is sometimes difficult to trace the makers in Japan as they would make up western names to add to their wares.  Now, most marks have been washed off over the years.   Others, like these, simply had the word “Japan” stamped on the base, or later “Made in Japan” moulded into the base.