Ode to the Kyusu

[Bok]

Those people are definitely out there! There is a third group, the ones who don’t care either way, clean, lovely worked up patina or just plain dirty, all the same to them

[Fuut]

Its been a long time since I visited here, too much has happened! How is everyone?

I think these new ones are quite fancy. The first one is affordable - just no longer for me:)

https://www.buyjp4u.com/product_detail.asp?Id=3717


https://www.buyjp4u.com/product_detail.asp?Id=3700

[Victoria]

@Fuut the rams horn motif is interesting on the houhin, and the porcelain kyusu is like a whimsical cartoon. Pretty funny. Are they yours?

[Baisao]

Interesting. I have purchased 4 Ito Gafu kyusu over the last 4 years. They are all very Japanese in style ... no resemblance to Yixing. Each are very finely crafted. I'll likely continue collecting his work.

I became interested in his work due to his indirect albeit connection to Yamada Jozan III. He trained under Fugetsu who trained under Jozan III.

It is not all of his pots, but almost all his back handle designs have direct ancestors in Chinese styles. He also collects early Jozan works it seems, as well as copying those (who are in turn also still Chinese in the early stages).

That’s fascinating. I found him by accident because while scrolling through IG I saw a pot that was a dead ringer for a Yamada pot and (rudely, because I didn’t know he was a potter) asked him if it was Emu or Sou’s work. Oops!

Does anyone know how/why he produces so many variable teapots? They are all expertly finished and yet they each seem as though they were made through someone else’s hands

[Bok]

Does anyone know how/why he produces so many variable teapots? They are all expertly finished and yet they each seem as though they were made through someone else’s hands

He is still quite young for one, which explains that he still seems to explore a huge variety of styles. And what better than to learn from the masters of old times, e.g. classical Chinese Yixing or the early Yamadas.

Another sign of younger potters is also often(not always of course) that they tend to be perfectionists, the older more experienced guys learn to "let go".

I have it on second hand information that he is quite the tea fanatic, interested in the Chinese way of making tea which might also explain the urge to explore different shapes and materials in search of the best form/s, looking for inspiration from times when Chinese style brewing was still more common in Japan.

[Baisao]

Those people are definitely out there! There is a third group, the ones who don’t care either way, clean, lovely worked up patina or just plain dirty, all the same to them

I know the ones you are talking about. One of my Taiwanese friends is is like that.

As for patina on kyusu, I wouldn’t mind either way but I do keep them clean on the inside. I expect that over time they will develop a patina but at a glacial pace and probably more from the oils on our hands than the tea that we brew in them. I’ve seen a similar phenomenon with suiseki where touch and oxidation presents a patina but it can take decades to develop and is often faked.

[TomOrley]

Hi all. I just purchased this teapot at a japanese thrift shop in Phnom Penh.

I suspected it might be a high quality clay so I bought it for only $5.50. It is quite elegant and has a lot of delicate hand work, especially in the strainer. It has a hallmark, and one crack on the handle.

The part where the spout attaches to the pot is a bit shoddy though, the hand of the artisan can easily be seen. The lacework on the handle is flawed as well.

[Victoria]

Hi all. I just purchased this teapot at a japanese thrift shop in Phnom Penh.

I suspected it might be a high quality clay so I bought it for only $5.50. It is quite elegant and has a lot of delicate hand work, especially in the strainer. It has a hallmark, and one crack on the handle.

The part where the spout attaches to the pot is a bit shoddy though, the hand of the artisan can easily be seen. The lacework on the handle is flawed as well.

This is a Banko kyusu, very nice with Japanese teas. The stamp I would need to research.

[TomOrley]

Hi all. I just purchased this teapot at a japanese thrift shop in Phnom Penh.

I suspected it might be a high quality clay so I bought it for only $5.50. It is quite elegant and has a lot of delicate hand work, especially in the strainer. It has a hallmark, and one crack on the handle.

The part where the spout attaches to the pot is a bit shoddy though, the hand of the artisan can easily be seen. The lacework on the handle is flawed as well.

This is a Banko kyusu, very nice with Japanese teas. The stamp I would need to research.

I would love to know more if you have the time for such an endeavor.

Quick update, it was a well cared for pot. Look, I just brewed hot water in it to clean it out, and look at the bright green color of the water coming out!

It was just as green for two brews ... I feel it would be almost disrespectful to brew anything but japanese green tea in this

Tasting the water I'm left with the apparition of the finish of some kind of Japanese green tea. It costs my throat and the back of my tongue.

Unfortunately I mostly drink sheng pu-er so I may need to keep this one under wraps until I can get something for it.

For now I'll just drink water from it. Any recommendations if I wish to pivot to another tea with this pot?

[Bok]

Quick update, it was a well cared for pot. Look, I just brewed hot water in it to clean it out, and look at the bright green color of the water coming out!

You just drank that???

That is very adventurous to drink some unknown gunk from a previous owner...

If the pot is that dirty I’d recommend to thoroughly clean it before using it, as a matter of health and safety...

[Noonie]

Quick update, it was a well cared for pot. Look, I just brewed hot water in it to clean it out, and look at the bright green color of the water coming out!

You just drank that???

That is very adventurous to drink some unknown gunk from a previous owner...

If the pot is that dirty I’d recommend to thoroughly clean it before using it, as a matter of health and safety...

LOL I thought that was your first brew of tea! I also run hot water through new pots to see what comes through, and I never drink it...even if it looks clean. I do look for colour, smell afterwards to give an indication of just how serious of a cleaning it needs. I would clean the heck out of that pot first before using it.

[TomOrley]

I only took one sip. I couldn't resist

It's alright I put boiled water thru it twice before I tried. Thanks for your concern.

So it's ok to use soap on unglazed teaware??

[pedant]

hey @TomOrley,

nice pot. as others said, it looks like banko-yaki. not bad for 5 bucks as an intro to japanese teaware. a functional pot worth using imo.

i'd definitely remove that thing from the spout. that's just a piece of vinyl tubing made to protect it during shipping and storage.
see how it looks all brown and gross? i'm thinking the previous owner left it on there during use. lol

for cleaning ideas, check this out if you haven't already: viewtopic.php?t=612

LOL @ what you brewed up

i've experienced this before, too: viewtopic.php?p=7928#p7928
this pot had some pretty ancient residue in there. believe me, there was some temptation to drink it. it smelled good, but i didn't.

I only took one sip. I couldn't resist

good on you

So it's ok to use soap on unglazed teaware??

never use soap on unglazed teaware.

[Victoria]

@TomOrley as already mentioned never use soap on unglazed ceramics. Since the handle is cracked I’d avoid putting the entire kyusu in simmering water, just soak in a bath of off boiling water and to remove any stubborn residue, and rub with a paste of baking soda, rinse several times, followed by a bath of 1/3 white vinegar, 2/3 water, rinse again with boiling water, and allow to air dry for a few days. Vinegar will evaporate leaving no residual smell or taste. After it has dried let hot water rest an hour or more and taste to see if it tastes good.

Banko-yaki 萬古焼 ceramics were first made during the Genbun Era (1736-40) in Yokkaichi, Mie just across the bay from Tokoname, the most famous pottery center in Japan. The purple clay (shidei 紫泥) is high in iron. You might find the artisan’s stamp looking at these sites, (unfortunately, Japanese Pottery Marks site is down);

Famous Japanese Potters & Marks
https://chano-yu.com/famous-japanese-potters-and-marks/

Japanese Pottery Marks
http://www.japanesepotterymarks.info/ja ... show_all=1

Tokoname Teapot Makers
http://www.tokoname.or.jp/teapot/stamp/

Robert Yellin’s Japanese Pottery Blog
http://e-yakimono.blogspot.com/

Gotheborg
http://gotheborg.com

[OhThatNinja]

Here's one of my little guys:

Celadon Kyusu (2).JPG (205.9 KiB) Viewed 11337 times