This elegant celadon senchawan (small teacup for sencha) is thrown in an open asagao-gata (morning glory/conical) shape from porcelain. This morning glory shape is favoured in Uji where the tea traditionally has a lighter colour, as the wide lip allows for quicker cooling of the tea and for easy drinking, while the narrowing of the shape towards the foot concentrates the tea, making the colour of the tea easier to see. The transparent glaze on the inside of the cup lets the pure white of the porcelain shine through, allowing the true colour of the tea to be discerned. The outside of the cup is given a classic celadon glaze, with its pale blue-green tone recalling the clarity of the Uji River and the elegance of ancient Song Dynasty wares.

Before using it for the first time, it is recommended to soak the piece in water for 10 minutes. This will dislodge any dust from the clay as well as slow down the natural development of patina in the glaze.

This teacup was made by the skilled craftsmen at the Asahi-yaki studio.

Asahi-yaki (朝日焼) are a world-renowned pottery studio located at the foot of Mt. Asahi in Uji. Their founder produced wares for the tea ceremony in the late 16th-early 17th centuries, at the height of chanoyu’s artistic development, and his works were loved by chajin Kobori Enshū (who succeeded Furuta Oribe and Sen-no-Rikyū as leading tea master). Since then, Asahi-yaki have continued to make wares that capture Enshū’s aesthetic philosophy of ‘Kirei-Sabi’, which is a more refined take on Rikyū’s ‘Wabi(-sabi)’.

Today, they are headed by 16th generation potter Matsubayashi Hōsai XVI who leads his studio in producing wares for both the Japanese tea ceremony and for the brewing of loose-leaf teas. They continue to use local Uji clay, mined from the surrounding hills, which they call ‘hanshi’. Since the 8th generation head, they also make sencha and gyokuro wares out of porcelain from Kyūshu.

Dimensions:

8.5cm (3.3in) - width
5cm (2in) - height
60ml - capacity

Condition: New

This Japanese item ships from the United States.