Mikawachi ware "Lazuri" curry/pasta dish

At a glance

- Mikawachi-yaki (三川内焼), Nagasaki Prefecture, over 400 years of ceramic heritage
- Excellence Award, Nagasaki Prefectural Specialty Products Exhibition
- 21cm wide, 7.5cm deep; suits curry, pasta, grain bowls and sharing dishes

A bowl that has won an award is not necessarily a better bowl. But this one earned it for reasons that matter at the table: the depth of the glaze, the balance of the form, and the particular way the lapis-blue colour makes food look good against it.

The Lazuri dish is made in Mikawachi-yaki (三川内焼), a porcelain tradition from the Sasebo area of Nagasaki Prefecture with over 400 years of history. Mikawachi ware was historically produced as tribute pieces for feudal lords and later for export, developing a reputation for exceptionally fine, white porcelain with precise, delicate painting. The Lazuri's broad, gently curved form suits a wide range of meals: curry, pasta, grain bowls, a generous salad. At 21cm wide and 7.5cm deep it holds a full portion comfortably. The deep blue glaze has a richness that rewards the table setting but does not demand it.

The Lazuri received the Excellence Award (優秀賞) at the Nagasaki Prefecture New Specialty Products Exhibition (長崎県特産品新作展), presented by the Nagasaki Prefecture Governor.