Seven changes of hagi

[Drax]

This topic has come up before (I believe it was discussed briefly in the Hagi show-off thread) -- on the seven changes of hagi. But I don't believe that we ever came to a conclusion on source information or what the seven changes actually were. Anyway?

I do vaguely remember mentioning the seven disguises of the ninja, and wondering whether they were related...

Another question along a similar line of thought -- I had been using my "tempest" hagi cup a *lot* for brewing, because it perfectly holds the steeps from the gaiwans I use for testing new-to-me pu'erhs teas. At some point I noticed that the white interior had gotten much darker.

I then wiped out the interior with a paper cloth, and it removed the darker color (basically tea residue) and returned it to a normal whiter color -- though it was still a little dark up near the rim where it had really gotten well stained.

So my second question is whether this staining was one of the stages? Should I not have wiped it out? Thoughts?

[Tead Off]

Good question. One of the 7 must be the crackling that occurs both within and without. This is one of the most fascinating processes to watch on these pieces and it really adds another dimension to them. Personally, I don't like the staining so from time to time I clean them by rubbing the surface but I don't clean the deeper stains within the crackling. Baking soda will do this if you want.

[TIM]

The changes or color, patina, glaze cracks, shines, weight and feeling.
Pink glaze is everything for a hagi, representing the blush of a human being. From cold and dry, to warm, to blush and finally the union.

[Chip]

Another question along a similar line of thought -- I had been using my "tempest" hagi cup a *lot* for brewing, because it perfectly holds the steeps from the gaiwans I use for testing new-to-me pu'erhs teas. At some point I noticed that the white interior had gotten much darker.

I then wiped out the interior with a paper cloth, and it removed the darker color (basically tea residue) and returned it to a normal whiter color -- though it was still a little dark up near the rim where it had really gotten well stained.

So my second question is whether this staining was one of the stages? Should I not have wiped it out? Thoughts?

Good topic Drax ... I have been wanting to share "Tempest" for a while, but was having learning curve issues with the new Photobucket edit tools. This one has had a sencha only diet, no stains, brilliant white as the day ot was pulled from the kiln. To clean after use, I simply dip in a pot of pretty hot leftover water and pat dry with a soft cloth.

The crackling has slowly progressed quite nicely ... wouldn't you say?

[Chip]

Interesting concept, Tim.

7 stages ... I generalize and humanize ... new born, toddler, adolescent, teen, adult, middle age, senior ... I think of some changes along the way. Some mature much quicker than others while some never seem to grow up.

I think several I have purchased are from new born up to perhaps teen. No adults yet, but some are showing signs of "growing up."

I have never read a formal explanation of the 7 stages, I am sure it is out there somewhere, but is there really some official explanation? I think it has a degree of romanticism to it?

[Chip]

Forgot to mention ... I rarely see Hagi surface staining. I recall only 3 (out of many) Hagi cups with noticable surface staining. One was an Ice Split, one was a Seigan blue, and I cannot recall the third one anyway.

However, I don't recall using any of them for anything but Japanese greens.

I also believe filtering the water which virtually eliminates scale greatly reduces staining. More scale = more stains, IMHO.

[debunix]

I definitely noticed surface staining in my Seigan oribe Hagi, the "Evergreen" or Sou-shun cup, when I took it to my satellite office for three days of intensive, solo use in a very hard-water area, and had seen virtually none in several months of cumulatively more use with water that goes through a filtered pitcher. I really rubbed and rubbed and rubbed and finally resorted to a bit of soap (!) before getting it anything like clean.

The crackling is coming along beautifully--very fine scale in the Sou-shun, intensified by having tea in it for many hours a day, but my Tempests look just like Chip's, although their diet has been far more varied (in fact, almost no sencha at all).

[Drax]

Oooh very pretty, TIM and Chip!

Chip -- my "tempest" looks very similar to your picture -- which also makes me wonder, was the inside of the rim always dark like that (mine is like that, too, and I was thinking it was part of the staining)? I'm thinking it wasn't, but I can't remember...

Does anybody still have a picture of the "pristine" versions to compare?

[debunix]

Pristine

Big Brother & the Twins by debunix, on Flickr

Staining

[hopeofdawn]

Wowza--gorgeous second picture there! The ripples of light on the tea are lovely!

I haven't noticed any surface staining on either my ROCK or the Sou-shun hagi, and I'm a bit of a Philistine--I'll use them for everything from green to black tea, depending on how much I want to drink in a session. But then, once I'm done, I rinse them out with hot water and wipe them down with a microfiber cloth--so I have pretty golden crackles (very fine for the ROCK, very long and distinct for Sou-shun), but no other hard-to-remove stains.

[Drax]

Oooooh, very pretty, deb!

So it does look like the rims had a fair amount of brown on the inside part, good to know. I was having trouble telling whether that was a deeper stain or natural. Could still be both, I suppose...

[Chip]

I believe that is simply the intermingling of the sansai (green, purple, and white) glaze. Looking at the inner rim, I can see green and purple clearly at some spots and then "muddied" at others. As I look at sansai pieces on ebay, I often see this muddied look on much of the exterior.

Sansai is actually rather complicated, greens and purples are not simply applied ... these "colors" are in the glaze and come out in wonderful ways that are unpredictable, serendipitous.

Oribe has a similar effect around the inner rim, but there it is clearer what is going on.