Shoryu Tenmoku Kintsumami Kyusu

Side-handled, oil-drop-glazed teapot from master Umehara Shōji from the Shōryū Kiln. Oil-drop (Tenmoku) glaze is one of the hardest glazing techniques. After years of experimentation, master Shōji perfected the distinctive Shōryū Tenmoku pattern, making his works widely appreciated. His tea ware has been featured in exhibitions and recognized with numerous awards for their outstanding craftsmanship.

The top of the lid is gilded. After an initial firing, when the clay is still a little soft, the master presses the pattern on the outer surface with a patterned textile and applies the gold coating afterward before a final firing.

Yuteki Tenmoku glaze got its name from a remote Chinese temple it was first used, on the Tianmu (Tenmoku in Japanese and Heaven's Eye in English) Mountain. From the 13th century, monks in this temple drank their tea from tea bowls glazed with a special technique called yuteki (literally meaning “oil drop”). Tenmoku glazes can range in color and pattern, which makes every glazed piece unique with the impression of randomness, which has both aesthetic and philosophical appeal to the Japanese.

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