Skip to product information
1 of 12

煎茶 中国茶 台湾茶向け 日本の急須/茶壺専門店 東山堂

Kyoto ware blue Sencha tea cup

Kyoto ware blue Sencha tea cup

Regular price ¥5,500 JPY
Regular price Sale price ¥5,500 JPY
Sale Sold out
This is a celadon sencha cup from the Kyoto ware studio Shibata Kiln. It is a small-sized tea cup used in the Sencha tea ceremony.


Potter Shibata Yasuhisa has been a student of Sawamura Tosai, the third generation of Kyoto ware, for many years. The Sawamura family has been a Kyoto ware artist since the Taisho era (about 100 years ago), and has inherited the traditional techniques and aesthetic sense of Kyoto ware. They mainly produce tableware used in traditional Japanese restaurants.


Mr. Shibata also specializes in tableware shaped like bamboo and bamboo grass, which are used in Japanese restaurants. To make tableware with fine craftsmanship, high modeling skills are required, and such handicrafts have been decreasing recently. The vessels and teapots made by Shibata are very delicate, and you can see the high level of modeling skills.


Kyoto ware sometimes had copied Chinese ceramics, and the production of sencha wares that originally came from China, such as teapots, is popular. Mr. Shibata also inherits the tradition of Kyo-yaki sencha wares, and creates elegant and beautiful tea wares.



(Brief biography of Shibata Yasuhisa)

Born in Kyoto in 1977

Started making pottery under the third-generation master Sawamura Tosai in 2000

Graduated from Kyoto Prefectural High Technical College of Potters in 2001

Opened a kiln in Hanazono, Kyoto after 12 years of apprenticeship in 2012

Moved to Nishiyama, Kyoto in 2014

Kyoto-certified craftsman for Kyo-yaki and Kiyomizu-yaki in 2014



The color of the glaze is influenced by the weather during the firing period. This teacup was fired in June, a rainy month, so it has a beautiful, moist blue color. The refreshing color is good, as if the teacup has absorbed moisture from the air.


Small teapots and teacups are difficult to make. High skill is required to make small items on a potter's wheel. Glaze is difficult to adhere to small vessels, so glazing takes a lot of effort.


The inside of the teacup is glazed, waited for it to dry, and then the outside is glazed and waited for it to dry. Glazing is done three times on both the inside and outside, for a total of six-time glazes, until the entire vessel is covered in glaze.


The vessel is then fired in a wood-fired kiln in Shiga Prefecture. Wood-fired kilns produce a lot of smoke, so it is virtually impossible to fire in a wood-fired kiln in a residential area like Kyoto City.


Porcelain fired in a wood-fired kiln has a soft atmosphere. In wood-fired kiln firing, the flow of the flame is irregular and the temperature is high. This creates subtle changes on the glaze surface, and the light is diffused, giving it a soft luster.


Firing celadon and white porcelain in a wood-fired kiln requires extensive experience and high skill, so recently it is common to fire them with electricity or gas. However, there is a rich expression of ceramics that can only be produced in a wood-fired kiln. This teapot has the same soft atmosphere as the old vessels seen in museums.

This teacup is semi-porcelain, made by mixing porcelain and earthenware clay. By mixing both types, it has both the warmth of earthenware and the durability of porcelain. The inside is also glazed, so it is less likely to absorb the aroma of tea leaves.

You can enjoy various types of tea, such as green tea, oolong tea, rock tea, flower tea, and black tea, without losing the aroma. However, we still recommend using it when brewing Japanese sencha or gyokuro.

Potter: Shibata kiln (Kyoto)

Firing: Wood-fired kiln

Type: Semi-porcelain (ceramics made by mixing porcelain and pottery clay)

Size: Diameter 5.0 cm, height 4.0 cm, bottom diameter 2.5 cm

Capacity: 30 ml full, 10-20 ml practical

Weight: 20-23 g

Packaging: Paper box

Notes: Since it is handmade, there are slight differences between each piece.


<Kyoto ware>

Kyoto ware is ceramics made in Kyoto City. Since the Edo period (around 1800 AD), many tea utensils for matcha and sencha were made against the backdrop of the popularity of the tea ceremony. With the background of Kyoto's high culture, it developed with the support of temples, shrines, nobles, and merchants.

They specialize in vivid color paintings such as blue and white, red painting, and gold painting, as well as ceramics with fine workmanship. It is ceramics with a high level of aesthetic sense and modeling technique that incorporates various techniques and styles.

Low stock: 3 left

View full details

FAQ

Which type of of tea can I brew with the teapot?

It can be used for any type of tea. However, unglazed pottery is more likely to absorb the flavor of the tea leaves. By using different tea utensils for each type of tea, you can enjoy the flavor of the tea to the fullest.

For example, in the case of Japanese tea, sencha, fukamushicha, genmaicha, and gyokuro are all in the same family, but since hojicha has a strong roasted aroma, we recommend using a different tea utensil.

However, glazed pottery or porcelain tea utensils do not absorb the flavor of the tea leaves, so they are suitable for brewing various types of tea.

How do you wash a teapot?

Please wash the teapot with water, without using detergent. Ceramic teapots easily absorb detergent ingredients, which can affect the flavor of the tea.

Tea leaves remaining in the teapot are the main cause of tea stains. After brewing tea, we recommend removing the tea leaves once they have cooled and rinsing them with water.

Moisture remaining in the teapot can cause mold. Turning the teapot upside down will help it dry faster.

We do not recommend washing it in the dishwasher. Please wash by hand.

Can I remove tea stains from a teapot?

Here's how to remove tea stains.

1. In a bowl or pot, mix 24g of baking soda with 1 liter of water at 30-40°C.

*Do not use aluminum or Teflon-coated pots as they will react with baking soda.

2. Leave the teapot in the water mentioned in step 1 for 30-60 minutes.

3. Wipe off the tea stains with a soft sponge or cotton swab. Do not use hard sponges or brushes.

4. Rinse the teapot with water.

5. Thoroughly dry the teapot.

*Baking soda water may irritate your hands, so wear rubber gloves.

Can I return the product?

We do not accept returns unless the product is damaged when the package arrives.

Each tea utensil is slightly different and may have slight distortions or scratches. Please check the images posted on our online shop in advance.

If you have any questions about the detailed condition of the product, please feel free to contact us. We can send you additional images and videos of the product.

Do you ship internationally?

We can ship to the following countries:

China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines

Are the goods antiques or second-hand goods?

All the products in the shop are new. We sell products produced by potters and kilns in Japan.