Tokoname-yaki Stoneware Gaiwan - 75ml

A rarity amongst Japanese teaware, this elegant gaiwan is thrown from one of Jinshū's signature clays, a speckled grey stoneware, and has a subtle spatula texture running up the body. The lid has a knob somewhere in between the classic ring style and the newer 'button' style. The top of the saucer is the same speckled grey as the rest of the gaiwan, but the bottom is a rich red.

Gaiwan (蓋碗) are a type Chinese teaware first developed in the Ming Dynasty. There are two main ways to use a gaiwan: as a cup or as a teapot. Traditionally, gaiwan were used as drinking vessels: tea leaves would be put in, hot water poured over them, and the gaiwan held atop the saucer in the palm of the hand, with the other hand using the lid to push away any tea leaves while drinking directly from the gaiwan. Recently, however, it is most common to use the gaiwan as a brewing vessel, using the lid to create a small gap to filter the leaves while pouring the tea out into cups. The style of brewing is especially suited to teas with large intact leaves, which excludes most senchas.

Made by Itō Seiji (伊藤成二) who is the second-generation head of Jinshū Pottery (甚秋陶園). Born in 1949, Itō-san shifted away from the mass-production style of his father towards more individualist wares, focusing primarily on kyusu. Today, Jinshū's name is almost synonymous with his exquisite hira-kyusu (flat teapots). This gaiwan comes in a kiribako (桐箱 - paulownia wood box) signed and sealed by the artist.