^^Very nice!
I believe he uses Shigaraki clay for his aou(blue teapots). The teapots that Victoria and I posted are actually just shudei pots that have been wood fired.
If you look closely you can still see some red's peaking out around the lid and handle of the pot I posted above.
Ode to the Kyusu
this was my first nice teapot. i got it in 2012.
my thoughts from back then:
a tokoname kyusu by UMEHARA Gyokudo (1936-2012; RIP) i got from artisticnippon.
i think the "shochikubai" motifs were done by scratching away the reduction-fired surface to reveal the orange-red clay below.
i really love everything about this pot. it's my first and so far only kyusu (...how long will that stay true? lol).
i love the way it feels... like a smooth little pumpkin or something. i love the attention to detail as well. the shape of the handle and the spout, the clean, concentric lines around the rim, the precise lid fit, the shape of the little nubby lid handle..
check out that filter. he made it super thin/fine. kind of organic looking. trypophobia, anyone?
a fingerprint captured forever makes it extra special:
also, the pressure equalization hole cut into the lid is countersunk.
i've looked at this pot a lot, and it really feels like he cared about his work.
at ~330mL, however, it's slightly on the big side. i get the most use out of it when i have friends over.
my thoughts from back then:
a tokoname kyusu by UMEHARA Gyokudo (1936-2012; RIP) i got from artisticnippon.
i think the "shochikubai" motifs were done by scratching away the reduction-fired surface to reveal the orange-red clay below.
i really love everything about this pot. it's my first and so far only kyusu (...how long will that stay true? lol).
- GYOKUDO shochikubai kyusu
- Gyokudo-shochikubai-kyusu.jpg (222.52 KiB) Viewed 10109 times
i love the way it feels... like a smooth little pumpkin or something. i love the attention to detail as well. the shape of the handle and the spout, the clean, concentric lines around the rim, the precise lid fit, the shape of the little nubby lid handle..
- GYOKUDO kyusu: handstand
- Gyokudo handstand.jpg (60.25 KiB) Viewed 10109 times
check out that filter. he made it super thin/fine. kind of organic looking. trypophobia, anyone?
- GYOKUDO kyusu: filter
- Gyokudo filter.jpg (293.16 KiB) Viewed 10109 times
a fingerprint captured forever makes it extra special:
- GYOKUDO kyusu: fingerprint
- Gyokudo fingerprint.jpg (56.65 KiB) Viewed 10109 times
also, the pressure equalization hole cut into the lid is countersunk.
i've looked at this pot a lot, and it really feels like he cared about his work.
- GYOKUDO kyusu: lid
- Gyokudo lid.jpg (41.02 KiB) Viewed 10109 times
at ~330mL, however, it's slightly on the big side. i get the most use out of it when i have friends over.
This is my first and second kyusu.
The one on the left is 360ml. As I gravitate toward drinking smaller cups of tea and multiple infusions, I'm realizing the kyusu is a little too large, especially since I usually drink alone. When I want a larger cup, say 8-9 oz, it's not too bad, but I can probably use a 270ml for that.
The one on the right is my new yohen mogake hiramaru kyusu teapot by Hiroshi Mizuno. It's 160ml. I just received it today; probably won't break it in until tomorrow. I never would have imagined I would be making tea in such a small teapot, but I love it (well, I haven't tried it yet, but I love the way it looks).
Sorry for the grainy photographs. I got rid of my nice, Canon Rebel XS earlier this year, and all I'm left with are the subpar cameras on my phone and tablet.
- 20200113_111442-1.jpg (418.25 KiB) Viewed 10026 times
The one on the right is my new yohen mogake hiramaru kyusu teapot by Hiroshi Mizuno. It's 160ml. I just received it today; probably won't break it in until tomorrow. I never would have imagined I would be making tea in such a small teapot, but I love it (well, I haven't tried it yet, but I love the way it looks).
- 20200113_111530-1.jpg (432.57 KiB) Viewed 10026 times
- 20200113_111633-1.jpg (481.04 KiB) Viewed 10026 times
That’s a nice second kyusu you got @Vanenbw. Mogake pattern is pleasing to admire and the low profile really easy to fill and clean. Low profile also works well with cooler temperature Japanese greens.To prevent dripping from the lid, a slower pour works better with low ridersVanenbw wrote: ↑Mon Jan 13, 2020 8:34 pmThis is my first and second kyusu.
.....
The one on the right is my new yohen mogake hiramaru kyusu teapot by Hiroshi Mizuno. It's 160ml. I just received it today; probably won't break it in until tomorrow. I never would have imagined I would be making tea in such a small teapot, but I love it (well, I haven't tried it yet, but I love the way it looks).
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Chip
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I went on a bit of a kyusu binge ... long overdue and I realllllly needed more kyusu. 
As a cyclist, we often joke, how many bikes do you, me, we really need? The appropriate response is always "n+1" with n equaling how many one currently owns. Obviously not a minimalist approach.
I apply the same n+1 to how many kyusu do I need.
"Shall we begin?"
The first one was never used but was created sometime prior to the "sculptor's" death in 1981. Only 5 of these popped up on AN's site. I am extremely pleased to have successfully purchased this one. Very unique and different for Tokoname-yaki.
Instant love!
The kyusu was sculpted, not wheeled, by Sugie Mokusen. According to AN:
"Shudei teapot by Mokusen #5
I had the good fortune to acquire unique teapots in an unused condition from the collection belonging to the family of Mokusen. These teapots are sought after in the vintage market so I was very pleased to be able to obtain them.
Mokusen began sculpting with clay from an early age and started making Shudei teapots later on. He did not use a potter’s wheel to make his pots but instead utilised his excellent sculpting skill and cutting techniques such as mentori (ridged surface), itome (horizontal grooved) and nunome (textile tectured)to produce items with a unique character. In addition he preferred not to grind the rough edges of his pots (as is common in Tokoname) in order to leave them with a more natural texture.
Hand crafted in Tokoname, Japan by Tokoname craftsman Sugie Mokusen (1916-1981)"
Sorry, took the photos tonight in poor lighting.
As a cyclist, we often joke, how many bikes do you, me, we really need? The appropriate response is always "n+1" with n equaling how many one currently owns. Obviously not a minimalist approach.
I apply the same n+1 to how many kyusu do I need.
"Shall we begin?"
The first one was never used but was created sometime prior to the "sculptor's" death in 1981. Only 5 of these popped up on AN's site. I am extremely pleased to have successfully purchased this one. Very unique and different for Tokoname-yaki.
Instant love!
The kyusu was sculpted, not wheeled, by Sugie Mokusen. According to AN:
"Shudei teapot by Mokusen #5
I had the good fortune to acquire unique teapots in an unused condition from the collection belonging to the family of Mokusen. These teapots are sought after in the vintage market so I was very pleased to be able to obtain them.
Mokusen began sculpting with clay from an early age and started making Shudei teapots later on. He did not use a potter’s wheel to make his pots but instead utilised his excellent sculpting skill and cutting techniques such as mentori (ridged surface), itome (horizontal grooved) and nunome (textile tectured)to produce items with a unique character. In addition he preferred not to grind the rough edges of his pots (as is common in Tokoname) in order to leave them with a more natural texture.
Hand crafted in Tokoname, Japan by Tokoname craftsman Sugie Mokusen (1916-1981)"
Sorry, took the photos tonight in poor lighting.
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Ohhh, a very beautiful filter. Nice to see this special kyusu found a good home. Does the shudei clay feel any different from other burnished (namamigaki) ones you have? Well it looks shiny from burnishing, it could be something else in the clay that gives this effect.
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Chip
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I notice this w/ many kyusu featuring physically altered or manipulated exteriors such as Kenji, Yoshiki, Gyokuryu, etc where the exterior is more polished looking while the interior is rougher clay.Victoria wrote: ↑Mon Feb 10, 2020 9:24 pmOhhh, a very beautiful filter. Nice to see this special kyusu found a good home. Does the shudei clay feel any different from other burnished (namamigaki) ones you have? Well it looks shiny from burnishing, it could be something else in the clay that gives this effect.
Could it be from rubbing during the manipulation of the exterior, namamigaki (Hojo) or a thin "slip" layer of finer or more filtered clay added to the exterior?
I could only speculate ...
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Chip
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Not sure how this screen or filter would handle YM fukamushi. I wonder if this sculptor ever saw fukamushi.
Guess I will have to give it a go.
A lot of direct wall filters really cannot handle fuka while Yamada Sou, Junzo, Yoshiki can ..
Guess I will have to give it a go.
A lot of direct wall filters really cannot handle fuka while Yamada Sou, Junzo, Yoshiki can ..
It’s something special for sure. I’m minimizing my teaware and wanted a few very special pieces and this is one of them. He must still be making some one offs, because I have a hohin on the way from Chaki Chaki. Thes Du Japon gets some of his stuff still too.
Lucky youDarbotek wrote: ↑Mon Feb 10, 2020 5:21 pm
It’s something special for sure. I’m minimizing my teaware and wanted a few very special pieces and this is one of them. He must still be making some one offs, because I have a hohin on the way from Chaki Chaki. Thes Du Japon gets some of his stuff still too.
I've wanted one of his houhins for a long time. I was just never able to muster up the courage through to actually pay for one, though. Beautiful stuff though.Hope you can post a few pictures of it when you get the chance!
I didn't know about Thes/Chaki carrying some of his teawares. I took a look over at Chaki, and it looks like they really had some nice pots of his up, of course now all sold out now. I imagine he still has a lot of stuff over the years that hasn't sold yet that he's holding on to and that people over at Chaki and TDJ probably are able to source directly from him. When I purchased a teapot made by him from awhile ago at teashop in Tokyo they told me that since he's now retired his pots have been more difficult to come by and that was lucky to get one. I suppose there's always a chance he came out of retirement to make to put out a few more pots though
