This Bizen-yaki houhin (handleless teapot) features dramatic colour variations across the unglazed body that comes from the wild and unpredictable nature of wood-firing. In the place of a lid knob, there is a resplendent dragon.
Like most houhin, it has a wide, triangular open spout which allows for fast pouring, a simple ceramic do-ake filter which lends no metallic taste to the tea, and a wide opening which allows for easy viewing of the tea leaves and easy cleaning.
This piece was made by Irie Hisashi (入江恒旨) of Sue Kiln (須恵窯). in 1998, at age 50, Irie-san quit his day job to pursue his lifelong dream of being a potter, firing his first piece two years later. Since then, he has won numerous awards for his Bizen pieces.
Bizen-yaki (備前焼) is a type of Japanese pottery that traditionally comes from Bizen province, now part of Okayama prefecture, Japan. The site of one of Japan’s Six Ancient Kilns, pottery has been made in Bizen since at least the 14th century.
Fired at high temperature for a long time (as long as 14 days) in wood-burning kilns, Bizen ware is known for its earthen colours and lack of traditional glaze. Because of the clay’s high rate of shrinkage, it is unsuitable for glazing. Instead, the designs found on Bizen ware come from kiln effects and include traces of molten ash resembling glaze and markings resulting from wood-burning kiln firing.
Dimensions:
10.5cm (4.1in) - width
11.2cm (4.4in) - height
175ml - capacity
Condition: New
This Japanese item ships from the United States.
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