Blue Yuteki Tenmoku Kiyomizu-yaki Senchawan - 50ml

This stunning Kiyomizu-yaki senchawan (sencha cup) is glazed in an entrancing blue yuteki tenmoku glaze. Yuteki (油滴 - oil-spot) is one of the most popular style of tenmoku glazes, consisting of silvery spots of iron crystals suspended on a blue or black backdrop, like oil on water.

With a classic tulip shape and a modest 50ml capacity, this cup is ideal for savouring high-grade sencha, though can be used for any purpose.

Kiyomizu-yaki (清水焼) (also called Shimizu-yaki) is a type of Japanese pottery that traditionally comes from the Gojōzaka district near Kiyomizu Temple, in Kyoto, Japan. A subset of Kyo-yaki which refers to all pottery made in the Kyoto area, Kiyomizu ware has been produced since the 16th century

The term 'tenmoku' can refer to two things: the shape of a bowl, i.e. conical with a finger groove and flare at the lip; and a dark high-iron glaze that can produce various beautiful effects under the right firing conditions. Both of these originated in Jian ware from Fujian during the Song dynasty (960-1279) in China, where the dark colour of the glaze was praised for the way it contrasts nicely with the froth of whisked tea.

While most Tenmoku glazes are a simple black, occasionally the glaze recipe and the conditions in the kiln are just right, causing the ash in the glaze to separate from the iron in a way that produces beautiful metallic effects, such as the one seen on this cup, called 'yuteki', meaning 'oil-spot'.

This cup was made by Tanaka Eikō (田中永嵩). Born in 1950, Tanaka-san specialises in yuteki tenmoku wares.