Japanese Style Rice Bowl

Cost: £185.00 per person

This class focuses on shape, proportion, and decoration — three elements that need to work together for the piece to succeed.

Japanese-inspired bowls tend to have a particular aesthetic: refined lines, balanced proportions, and a sense of restraint. The form is usually quite simple, which means there's nowhere to hide. If the wall thickness is uneven or the curve isn't flowing properly, you'll see it.

You'll turn a rice bowl roughly 4x2.5" — small enough to manage in a day but challenging enough to keep you focused. It's end-grain work with a thin wall, so the cuts need to be clean and controlled. You'll need prior turning experience for this one.

Once the form is complete, we'll move on to decoration using coloured dyes — building up layers to create depth and visual interest on the outside of the piece. The dyes react differently depending on the timber, so part of the day is about working with what the wood gives you rather than forcing a predetermined result.

If time allows, we'll add a stencil design in gold leaf before reverse-mounting to trim the tenon and finish the base.