Shino glaze has been used for hundreds of years, starting in Japan and eventually making its way to North America in the mid-20th century, where modern versions sought to imitate the tan, orange, and cream hues of traditional shino in anagama wood-fired kilns.

Shino glaze embodies the nature of wabi-sabi - finding beauty in imperfection. Think of a worn-in leather chair with marks and scuffs, or a statues sharp edges softened by rain over centuries, or the gnarled and meandering branches of an old oak tree. These flaws tell a unique story and give life, personality, feeling.

The ceramics at Stay Awhile embrace this ethos of the beauty inherent within the flaws. The small half-circle marks at the bottom tell where my fingers held the piece as I’ve dipped it in glaze. The drips and waves evoke the fluidity of the liquid glaze before it soaks into the stoneware. The play of creams against browns unique to its placement to other pieces in the kiln.

When you hold it in your hands, you can see clearly that it was made by another set of hands.

And that is beautiful.