NEW! Official Teaware of the Day!

[Bok]

Beautiful! How long did that take you?

[theroots]

Thank you very much!
It took several hours (didn't count, maybe about 7-10) but with the right tools it's done faster and way easier.

[hopeofdawn]

Wow, lovely work!

[PAQF]

Beatiful!

[Jaymo]

I stopped out by a local potter, Fred Gregory, today to check out his studio. It was a great little trip and he has beautiful work! I've been learning to throw pottery for the last year or so and he had a lot of great info to share. He also had albums FULL of photos of various ceramic works from his trips to Japan over the years including lots from Hamada's workshop in Mashiko!

I picked up a bowl from him while I was there that felt like a good size for casual daily tea. (I've got plenty of little tea cups, but have been keeping my eye out for a good bowl/yunomi for everyday/non-gong fu drinking.

I love the rough, groggy clay he uses for these!







And the foot & little drip!


These photos don't really do the glaze justice either. It is beautiful up close and has some nice little crazing, etc.

[debunix]

Is that a clear glaze that is green where thickest like at that little indentation? Lovely against the warm interior.

[Jaymo]

Is that a clear glaze that is green where thickest like at that little indentation? Lovely against the warm interior.

Yeah! The dark green parts are all transparent green with crazing. While the glaze isn't metallic (which makes me skeptical about being food safe,) there are parts that give a similar effect due to the browns with shiny clear glaze, then there are matte brown parts, The dark spots look like burnt rust. Then, as you said, the shino interior is very warm in contrast.

I'll try to get a close-up or 2 with my wife's phone camera, which is far superior to mine, later tonight when she is home.

[debunix]

A lovely morning, first one in quite a while chilly enough to appreciate a darker oolong to start--Huang Jin Gui from Norbu, brewed up a Petr Novak Treebark pot, complete with the raspberry aroma from the spout, and enjoyed in a Seigan subtle tranlucent blue Hagi....

[theroots]

I'd like to share some of my tea caddies. About two years ago I stated to collect Natsume, a few months ago I added some Chaire. To start with I selected three Natsume. They're decorated with bamboo leaves, chrysanthemums and cherry blossoms by using a technique called "chinkin":

Chinkin-bori (Japanese: “gold-inlay carving”), in Japanese lacquerwork, technique for decorating lacquer ware with patterns delineated by thin lines of gold inlay. After the pattern has been incised into the lacquer surface with a fine chisel, raw lacquer is rubbed into the grooves as an adhesive for gold dust or gold leaf pressed into them.

[Drax]

わああああ！

Those are stunning natsume... I bet they are even more lustrous in person!

[Mrs. Chip]

Beautiful, Chip and I also have collections. Need to get him to post some.

[theroots]

Need to get him to post some.

I'd love to see them!

わああああ！
I bet they are even more lustrous in person!

The one with the chrysanthemums motif indeed looks even better in person. No idea how many flowers they added on this small piece of lacquered wood.

Here are some close up of the mentioned as well as a maki-e Natsume with cherry blossoms and maple leaves, a popular motif during edo period called "cloud and brocade":

[Ferg]

So a gift arrived at my doorstep on Old New Year's Eve, Alex's sencha tray. To say that I was excited would be an understatement. I've been searching for a tray for a few years now, around the time I spotted this particular one on the threads. I was holding out until I found something similar to it on ebay, but to no avail. Little did I know then I would receive this very one a few years later! The wood grain on the tray is spectacular! It really does look like sand on the beach that has been rippled by the ocean's waves, adding to its allure. Accompanying tray was some kindly gifted kamairicha, pan-fired Japanese green, from Postcard Teas based out of London. First tea I've had from there and it was a pleasant experience. Smell of the leaf was fruity and toasted and tasted nice and sweet. Shared a cup with my mom the evening of its arrival. Thank you Alex! Really, too kind of you. Here are a few moments of its first use.

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[debunix]

Gorgeous.

[hopeofdawn]

Wow, simple and elegant. Just lovely.