French Raku Tea Set · Bird Teapot with 5 Chawan Bowls · 1970s

An extraordinary tea set of French Raku studio pottery from the 1970s, consisting of a sculptural, bird-shaped pot and five accompanying chawan bowls. The pot's body is bulging and oval, like a resting water bird: the pointed spout forms the beak, the ocher-glazed handle the stylized tail feather, and the removable lid with a single peephole takes on the bird's head silhouette. The contrast between smoke-fired blackened surfaces and white crackle glaze with fine dark cracks is the result of the classic Raku technique — reduction in sawdust after flash firing at around 900 degrees Celsius, which makes each piece unique.

The five chawan bowls adopt the same principle: an ocher-colored interior with a dense network of fine crackles, and dark, smoked edges and bases. The set is formally associated with the French Raku movement founded by Camille Virot in 1972, and at the same time incorporates the Wabi-Sabi aesthetic of the Japanese tea ceremony. The pot measures 32 cm in length, 20 cm in depth, and 16.5 cm in height, while the bowls each have a diameter of around 10 cm and a height of 4.5 cm. Unsigned, very good original condition across all six pieces.