Guides, articles or books about japanese teaware.

[Xell]

Can anyone suggest some guides, articles or books about japanese teaware? I'm starting to get more and more interested and i want to learn more about this subject. Basically what makes a good kyusu good one And be able to tell apart from high quality work and cheap imitation. I understand, that i won't become so suddenly and expert in teaware, but even little bit is better than nothing

p.s.
Most likely we will go to Tokoname at the end of spring, if nothing changes.

[MarshalN]

If you're in Japan, there should be plenty of books on teaware there -- I presume you can read Japanese?

[Xell]

If you're in Japan, there should be plenty of books on teaware there -- I presume you can read Japanese?

That's the problem, i'm still far from fluent in japanese and my reading ability is poor compared to japanese adults. Especially those books have quite a lot of difficult kanjis that i can't read yet

[David R.]

A first step could be to dig deep into Teachat old posts. Search engine is your friend here. There are also a lot of photos here. Teaware is also about loving a shape or a style. Its actual "effect" on tea will always be subject to speculation in the end depending on the user.

In Tokoname, don't expect to find real high end stuff, or get reliable info before. It has become a very tourist-oriented place, selling tourist-oriented stuff along the tourist-path. Very nice place though.

[JBaymore]

In Tokoname, don't expect to find real high end stuff, or get reliable info before. It has become a very tourist-oriented place, selling tourist-oriented stuff along the tourist-path. Very nice place though.

Good points, David.

Tokoname is a fun place to visit for a potter or a pottery lover. But yeah.... it has become very "touristy". At one level that situation makes some stuff "acessible" to the average person. But at another... it can give a false impression, and can also take advantage of those folks lack of knowledge.

There are many shops in Tokoname in which you will find a plethora of teawares of all calibers....... and the general "rule" in Japan when it comes to clay wares of all types is that "the good stuff costs". Kyusu (and such) from well known and well respected artists will not be found inexpensively there.

I'd suggest getting in touch with Robert Yellin in Mishima to learn about the world of Japanese ceramics and ceramic teawares. He is the English speaking expert on Japanese ceramics. He has a nice gallery and knows what he is talking about. He can lead you to the really good stuff....if that is what you truly desire. He is the force behind japanesepottery.com and e-yakimono.net.

best,

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

PS: Hint: If you are there, you HAVE to check out the bathrooms in the INAX building.

[MarshalN]

In general, I think it's true that if you go to the place of origin for this type of thing you're not going to find the best there is -- yixing is terrible for really good yixing and great for a lot of run of the mill stuff, so it really depends on what you're looking for and what you hope to find. If you just want some regular tokoname pot, then the internet is as good as any. If you're serious about collecting..... then yeah, you'll have to do some leg work.

[Xell]

I'm not really looking for high end stuff, at least for now. For now what i wanted to know is what qualities make kyusu or tea cup good. For example, why a 100$ kyusu cost not 50$ or 150$. Teaware above 30-50$ look quite similar to me and i don't get the price difference at all.

So i don't think i can bother Robert Yellin just yet

[Chip]

I'm not really looking for high end stuff, at least for now. For now what i wanted to know is what qualities make kyusu or tea cup good. For example, why a 100$ kyusu cost not 50$ or 150$. Teaware above 30-50$ look quite similar to me and i don't get the price difference at all.

So i don't think i can bother Robert Yellin just yet

Add an artisan name to a kyusu and you can jack up the price. And if it is handmade by the artisan (bearing an artisan name does NOT mean it is made by the artisan), the price goes up again.

The increases in price do not necessarily equal the increase in value. There are plenty of great kyusu for well under 100 USD.

There is a parallel in cups as well.

[rdl]

xell,
you were asking for Guides, articles or books about japanese teaware which i can't specifically mention but using the internet has given me lots of information. you may also want to inquire in general term about how any artist prices his/her work and how the art market influences prices.
i can list a few things that may be of interest.
a potter will price according to various factors. the success rate of a glaze or firing, if a glaze contains a highly priced component, how much hands-on from the master potter or other lesser potters in the studio.
two pieces formed from the same clay may look the same but the above dictates pricing when they are actually successfully out of the kiln.
i have seen 10,000 yen pieces i was in awe of, and in a gallery i have seen a 150,000 yen piece i just wasn't moved by. but our response to a piece isn't the best way to understand or set a price. once an artist has made a name for him/herself the market will do that, over and beyond what is reasonable (reason looses out to reputation).
you wrote "For now what i wanted to know is what qualities make kyusu or tea cup good. For example, why a 100$ kyusu cost not 50$ or 150$. Teaware above 30-50$ look quite similar to me and i don't get the price difference at all." i image there is a base cost for everything needed to make good tea ware, and you see very nice tea ware for that price. but there is no way to price the "feeling' of a piece, the heart and soul, the life given to it by a potter. this is the market driven, often irrational, factor that determines price. (remember you see tea ware at a set price, but is it selling at that price?) it takes time to appreciate the essence of a potter in a piece, as it does to learn how the market works in response to this, but as we keep asking questions it means we are moving to the next step of understanding.

[Xell]

Thanks for nice reply, i guess there is no easy way and need to search every piece of information myself, to get the feel of this. Well, for now i'll ask tea shop owner i know if he has some reliable contacts and try read some books or articles about pottery itself. This makes me want to try to make one or two cups myself, if i will have the chance, i'll certainly give it a try

[Robert Fornell]

If I had to choose one book to take with me from my shelf of hundreds of Japanese pottery books/magazines, hands down it would be 現代茶陶図鑑 (gendaichatouzukan) or the Encyclopedia of Contemporary Teaware.

It pretty much covers everything done post war and it reads like a who's who of teaware plus lots of more obscure artists who are doing fine work as well. Many, many fine color photos if your Nihongo reading skills are not yet honed. Robert Yellin is excellent however I feel his focus is not on teaware per say.

You should be able to order the book from Kinokuniya or Amazon.jp......

Enjoy!
R

[Robert Fornell]

and the general "rule" in Japan when it comes to clay wares of all types is that "the good stuff costs".

John, it's no different than here really..... IMHO.

Best,
R

[tingjunkie]

This site has a lot of great info on most of the different regional pottery styles: http://www.kougei.or.jp/english/pottery.html

Not devoted to teaware exclusively, but it's a great starting point with excellent info.

[JBaymore]

and the general "rule" in Japan when it comes to clay wares of all types is that "the good stuff costs".

John, it's no different than here really..... IMHO.

Best,
R

The difference is the top end "cap" on that "costs" number .

best,

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

[AdamMY]

and the general "rule" in Japan when it comes to clay wares of all types is that "the good stuff costs".

John, it's no different than here really..... IMHO.

Best,
R

The difference is the top end "cap" on that "costs" number .

best,

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

Yeah while I think many American artists do great work, I have yet to see an American artists Chawan sell for more than 8 thousand dollars.