Ode to the Kyusu

[Se7en8ight]

Thank you Peacock

Good to know... I am assuming these kind of golf ball screens are the hardest to make?

78

they are actually stamped out of clay with a machine, pretty easy to do. it does take some skill to attach them properly. there are a few types of screens used on most japanese pots.
ball screen- like you have above
ceremesh or sesame screen- also stamped in clay, then fitted onto the pot
direct or wall- carved directly into the pot
stainless steel mesh- an actual piece of stainless steel mesh fitted into the pot.

the merits and shortcomings of all these various types have been debated and expound upon in great detail on this forum, a search should provide you with a number of topics.

I'm off to search now, Thanking you very kindly!

[JBaymore]

The "golf ball" screens can also be more handmade.

A semi-spherical clay or plaster or wood mold is made . A thin sheet of clay is hand pressed into that. When it stiffens a bit, it is taken out. You then have half a golf ball of thin leatherhard clay. You use a tool that looks like a big hypodermic needle to cut the individual holes in it. The edges of the sherical form are cleaned up, a hole the correct size is cut into the teapot body's wall, then the "golf ball" is inserted and "connected" with a bit of slurry (thin mixture of clay and water).

Sounds easier than it is.

best,

......................john

[Se7en8ight]

I went and did a search and found the poll about screens and stuff... someone mentioned trypophobia

Google has scarred me for life now.

[Chip]

... yeah, we do like to see the screens! But I actually asked to get a clue of its origin.

[Alex]

The "golf ball" screens can also be more handmade.

Yeah!

Tokoname craftsman, Setsudo punching holes onto the ceramic filter.
Making the filter needs complete concentration and a calm state of mind.

-Artisticnippon.com

[TeaViking]

Hi!

I know that I´v uploaded pictures of my kyusu in the official teaware of the day. But i wasent pleased with the result and now I have got me flickr.

Many of you like the more natural looking teawere and I like them to. But this one stole my heart!. I love the flowers because they look like they have been carved out.

I bought it from Ebay so long ago that i cant find the auction any more. Its a Tokoname - Yaki and the artisan made it for me after my order. It pours perfectly and have a steel mesh on the whole inside.

Im itching for a Petr Novák kyusu and some more Szilani cups.

[Pig Hog]

Nothing wrong with a good Tokoname kyusu.

Mine, while not my favourite pot, does seem to be the best pourer and drains completely.

[debunix]

The combination of painted color and carving is very distinctive and lovely.

[TeaViking]

Thank you so much!
There is something about diffrent textures on a piece that just draw my eyes.

[Puk]

My new best friend and first kyusu, a black tokoname from Maekawa Junzo. This ugly duckling looks like she just came crawling out of a fire. I like her particularly because she is shaped like a human. Makes me think of ghosts.

Energetic posture, like her pour.

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Sparkle!

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She sits in my hand like a happy creature. I am in love.

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[Noonie]

My new best friend and first kyusu, a black tokoname from Maekawa Junzo. This ugly duckling looks like she just came crawling out of a fire. I like her particularly because she is shaped like a human. Makes me think of ghosts.

Very nice. I like the dark, rustic look. And nice photos...I like the leaf under the pot

What's the capacity (150-175ml)?

Kyusu's are my favourite teapot - the side handle feels so comfortable in the hand, there are so many very different looking pots not to mention the different filters, and they're both sophisticated yet easy to clean and maintain.

My next fav is a Houhin...

[Puk]

What's the capacity (150-175ml)?

This one is at 240ml. That leaf is a scavenged gift from my daughter. And I must have only laid hands on cruddy kyusu in the past. Never particularly wanted one before (tho the Taiwanese designs with the natural branch is on my wishlist).

[debunix]

My new best friend and first kyusu, a black tokoname from Maekawa Junzo. This ugly duckling looks like she just came crawling out of a fire.

Subtle black swan, perhaps, not ugly duckling. The shape is lovely and the finish has been intriguing me for some months now--I'd love to turn it over in my hands in different lights. If it brews as nicely as it looks it is a treasure.

[Chip]

My new best friend and first kyusu, a black tokoname from Maekawa Junzo. This ugly duckling looks like she just came crawling out of a fire.

Subtle black swan, perhaps, not ugly duckling. The shape is lovely and the finish has been intriguing me for some months now--I'd love to turn it over in my hands in different lights. If it brews as nicely as it looks it is a treasure.

If you get one, it is different from any Japanese kyusu I have ever seen. However, it is reminiscent of something Petr-Yaki. Or Andrzej-Yaki. Except the screen is all Japanese.

[Alex]

Wow that's too nice for a first Kyusu! get back in line! <3