Shoryu, Flower painting on Tenmoku Oil Drops pattern Kyusu Teapot, lid knob with gold, Tokoname Japan

Tenmoku, oil drops, Japanese Teapot Kyusu

Lovely, elegant black Japanese handmade teapot with flower paint.

Body is transparent black or carbon black (as we express) with oil drop pattern with delicate shine. The black comes from reduction firing with rice-hulls in kiln.

Melt pure gold was applied on lid knob, that makes teapot look gorgeous. And the gold lid makes the black more beautiful.

This teapot was fired 5 times in kiln. After 1st firing (red teapot), paint flower (2nd), glazing on surface (3rd -oil drops), reduction firing (4th – becomes black teapot) , apply pure gold on lid-knob (5th).

It was not easy to have beautiful oil drop pattern at first, Shoryu said. He had been tried some years to have ideal pattern constantly. Because change of weather and season (temperature and humidity in the air) affect to the pattern.

The surface is glazed and its texture is smooth and natural as if no glazing, inside is unglazed, so that tea and water touches the clay – that makes tea taste better.

This teapot is rather light, body is relatively thin. The artist Syoryu developed own light clay after 3 years of research.

Ceramic strainer, the same material with the body.

Capacity is rather small approx. 160-170cc.
Good to brew any kind of tea. There are many good reputation especially green tea, white tea brewing.

Shiha Tea & Comfort often use this teapot to brew tea. It is just comfortable to use functionally and visually.


Artist: Umehara Shoji (Shoryu)
Artist Bio: Born in 1945. 59 years of teapot work , as of 2019. In 2018, received The Order of the Sacred Treasure, Silver Rays from the government for his long year contribution to the Japan’s traditional art craft.
Capacity: Approx. 180-220 ml

  === About SHIHA TEA & COMFORT===  
We are Japanese Teapot, Pottery Tea Ware Shop in Tokyo, Japan, founded in 2012. Specialize in high-end Japanese teapots.  

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