Tokuta Fujita: Youhen-kin Yuzamashi, spouted tea bowl

A water cooling vessel, or a matcha bowl?

Most people use it as a tea bowl for preparing matcha or houjicha powder, for its round body that fits well in the palm and convenient spout. This traditional design form, yuzamashi — 湯冷し — was originally intended to cool down the water before infusing traditional Japanese green teas. It is now more frequently used as a chahai (i.e. a pitcher for decanting the freshly infused tea in for homogenising) and as a katakuchi chawan — 片口茶碗 — spouted tea bowl, as mentioned earlier. Amongst local tea enthusiasts and in formal tea rituals, its original function still presents.

Reduction firing using a local clay of high mineral contents

For his passion in advocating Takoname ware, Master Fujita employs the full range of the local clays, applying each in different works. The glittery effects of this otherwise humble piece of teaware is achieved by a special reduction firing technique on a special blend of clay with high mineral contents. During the firing, oxygen level is minimised to cause a reduction that forces the rich mineral contents in the clay to surface and crystallise, forming the beautiful random metallic speckles — a youhen-kin 窯変金 kiln change gold speckle — effect. This is another signature style by the master.

This is a handmade item. Each individual piece delivered may have slight variations in colour, pattern, shape and details from the particular one used in these pictures.