Lily of the Valley Kuro-Oribe Yunomi - 150ml

This Akazu-yaki Kuro-Oribe yunomi (teacup) has a classic cylindrical shape that narrows towards the top. The front features a hand-painted suzuran (すずらん - lily of the valley), while the back features a geometric basketweave design. These cups were designed and produced as a collaboration between Tezumi and Hiroshige Katō of Kasen Kiln. The shape and designs of this cup were inspired by the cylindrical styles of Kuro-Oribe chawan that were made in the late 1500s-early 1600s, rendered into cup form.

Each cup was hand-thrown and then hand-painted with the iron oxide underglaze design (鉄絵 - tetsu-e). The front and back are then covered with a translucent white glaze, while the rest of the cup is coated in the iron-rich Kuro-Oribe glaze. After firing in oxidation, each cup was soaked for two-three days in a solution called tochishibu (栃渋) which is made from horse chestnut caps. The result is a staining effect which softens the white of the glaze, emphasizes the crazing and darkens the exposed clay.

Each cup is handmade, glazed, and painted by Katō Hiroshige, using natural materials from the area surrounding his workshop.

The glaze is currently darker than the photos, and more closely match the colors on this piece