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@steanze that Mayake kyusu is so beautiful, is it also very thin and light?. Those hand signatures were only used for very special select pieces.

Time to check out the inside of your new and old kyusu handles. A lot of dust inside two of mine that I didn’t give a Birthday bath too when I first got them. Surprising what is found with a magnifier, even after washing them several times. A vacuum must form inside the handle. Check it out. Curious...

We’re in agreement. Minoru’s early works don’t look so mid century modern to me, though they definitely do as he matured as a potter, becoming very stylized after he was name a NLT. Correction : the seal says “Jozan” and on closer inspection I don’t have any record of it being used by Minoru. I con...

This seal means “Jozan Kiln”, so it is possible it is II or III. The lid looks like it doesn’t fit well which sways me from Jozan III since all the pieces I have and have seen have lids that fit perfectly. I read something a while back that stated Jozan III had developed a method for firing the lid...

Here are images of my Yamada Jozan II set with very fine calligraphy and figures having conversations. All the figures chatting on the kyusu are then individually placed on each cups. I have read that Jozan II selected contemporary artists to engrave the drawings. The kyusu is 220ml. https://imgur.c...

Another reason to stick with reputable producers and vendors. Aside from being deceived I would worry mostly of inadvertently consuming pesticides from imports masquerading as local Taiwan teas. Apparently the ‘fake’ industry worldwide is “2.5 per cent or US$461 billion of global trade” -that’s huge...

Looks very nice @Shine Magical kind of like my marble table only lower to the ground and maybe longer. Your monochrome set up is a special choice, with tea leaves and liquor providing pops of color. Beautiful cups as well, where are they from, the thin white ones?

Have been tweaking O-Cha’s Kirishima Organic Asamushi Sencha for a week now. Started off with vendor recommendation .6 gr /1oz (30 ml)/74℃ (165℉)/45sec. and found the steep way too light, so I gradually increased amount of leaf ending with 3x more leaf than recommended 1.5gr/1oz (30 ml)/74℃ (165℉)/4...

Chip , Have you asked Kevin about his getting 2019 Satsuma? I asked him on FB but haven’t gotten a reply yet. That was my 2018 favorite also. I’ll order Sae Midori, Yutaka Midori, Uji Aoi Sincha. I’ll also get last years Satsuma, unless he gets some from 2019, and Kyoto Sencha Chadōraku, a surprise...

Okay, you’ve twisted my arm lol, tomorrow I will finally try and take pictures of my Jozan II. It is an amazing calligraphy set with carved figures having conversations. For now here are a few shudei clay Yamada family kyusu Upper left either Jozan II or early Jozan III, lower right Jozan III. Upper...

That second link incorrectly places distantly related potters with the Yamada surname in with the Jozan Yamada lineage. Hm interesting, I’m not seeing which ones you are saying are incorrect. Can you identify? To me all the makers signatures and stamps on the kyusu look correct. Some text that is o...

Bok Looking at my II-IV Jozan kyusu, they all use shudei clay of varying textures and density. The earlier ones feel like they use tighter denser clays and or processing/finishing. Early Emu pear skin is my favorite clay. Don’t have enough experience with ‘real’ zhuni to comment as to it’s similari...

Those links are okay. My recommendation, as with all collecting, is start with a reputable source, start slow, observe carefully, piece by piece build your own database of information. Up for auction, every once in a while, magazines, and limited edition books come up. It helps to have a good transl...

Oh, the antithesis of wabi-sabi modesty and impermanence. Louis XIV would have loved it.

iGo I’m also holding onto several aged oolong and Pu’erh from Origin. Really miss Tony’s high quality selections. This morning sipping on medium roasted DongDing 9gr:150ml in Hokujo kaolin chips nanban kyusu. I enjoy how teas transform depending on ambient humidity levels, water used, and changes i...