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煎茶 中国茶 台湾茶向け 日本の急須/茶壺専門店　東山堂

Shigaraki ware Sencha tea cup light brown (30ml)

Shigaraki ware Sencha tea cup light brown (30ml)

¥4,400 JPY
¥4,400 JPY
Sale Sold out
This is a light brown sencha tea cup from Sotouen.

When brewing gyokuro or sencha, a small amount of water is used, only a few dozen ml, so a small tea cup is used. This size can also be used for Chinese and Taiwanese tea.

Sotouen is a Shigaraki pottery kiln that makes each piece on a potter's wheel and fires them in a traditional climbing kiln. They inherited the wood-fired kiln from the Edo period from the prestigious Ueda Naokata family of Shigaraki ware, and continue to make pieces that let you to feel the texture of Shigaraki clay and the rich expression of wood-fired kilns.

There are few sencha tea ware on the pottery market these days, so while searching for sencha tea wares all over Japan, we found a tea cup made by Sotouen about 20 years ago at a pottery fair in Aichi Prefecture. We asked Sotouen to make a new one using the tea utensil from that time as a sample.

Shigaraki is a place in Shiga Prefecture surrounded by mountains and with a flowing river. It is a place that has a deep connection with tea. Many tea masters have loved Shigaraki ware since ancient times. After the 1600s, it became common for the Tokugawa Shogunate and various feudal lords to send Uji tea in Shigaraki tea jars. Shigaraki is known as a region where tea utensils such as matcha bowls and teapots are produced, and tea pottery is popular.

Shigaraki clay is somewhat coarse and has the flavor of earth. Shigaraki ware, which is fired in the strong flames of a wood-fired kiln, often turns brown. There are temperature differences in each part of the kiln, and low-temperature areas turn dark brown, while high-temperature areas turn light brown like this tea utensil.

The main fuel for wood-fired kilns is red pine. The firing period is about one week, and the temperature rises to 1300-1500°C. The wood-fired kiln itself is made of Shigaraki clay (the penultimate image of the clay). Sotouen's climbing kiln is one of the largest in Japan.

Each tea cup is handmade on a potter's wheel, so there are lines by wheel forming on the side of the vessel. It has a nice texture that gives you an earthy feel. The inside is molded very smoothly. It features the soft atmospehre of natural soil. The color deepens as you use it, and you can enjoy the changes over time.

Kiln: Sotouen (Shiga)

Molding: Wheel forming

Firing: Wood-fired kiln

Type: Pottery

Size: Total length approx. 6 cm, bottom diameter approx. 3 cm, height approx. 6 cm

Capacity: Full 60 ml, Practical 30 ml

Weight: Approx. 50 g

Packing: Paper box

Notes: Since it is handmade, each piece is different. There is no glaze on the inside or outside.

When you pour hot water up to the top, the rim of the teacup will become hot. We recommend using less than 50% of the full capacity.

<Shigaraki ware>

Shigaraki ware is one of the six ancient kilns of Japan (Seto, Tokoname, Echizen, Tamba, Bizen, Shigaraki). Shigaraki was at the bottom of a lake in ancient times, so it is blessed with good quality clay. It is said that the origin of Shigaraki ware is when tiles were made for buildings in the capital when the capital was moved to this place in 742. After that, there was a period of decline in pottery production, but in the late 13th century, seed jars and water jars began to be made.

In the late 15th century, Japanese pottery began to be used as tea utensils in the tea ceremony. Shigaraki ware, along with Bizen ware, was the earliest pottery used as tea utensils. From the 17th century onwards, tea jars to hold tea leaves to be presented to the shogun and feudal lord families were also produced in Shigaraki.

Shigaraki ware is deeply connected to tea and is a pottery loved by many tea masters. It is close to Kyoto and Osaka, where the tea ceremony was popular, and many matcha bowls, flower vases, and sencha utensils were produced. Shigaraki is surrounded by mountains, flows with water, and is a place rich in nature. The texture of Shigaraki's soil, which gives a sense of nature, and the rich expression created by firing in a wood-fired kiln are the charms of Shigaraki ware.

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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.