Teapot collectors take note of this teapot. This is the last piece of several of these that we sourced. (see note below)
Tanikawa Katsuaki is a luminary in the world of Tokoname teawares. Born in 1951, he is highly skilled and turns out well-crafted, gracefully, and pleasingly thin-walled teapots.
He fires his pots in a wood-fired anagama kiln only once-a-year, so we are thrilled to have a few choice pieces of his work. Tanikawa Katsuaki achieves glorious yohen effects from the fire in the kiln such as scorch marks, flashing, and fly-ash glazes. These distinctive patterns give his teapots a unique appearance and makes them each truly a one-of-a-kind item.
We selected this teapot because it features a Western-style ‘C- handle’ rather than the usual Japanese ‘post’ side handle. We like to have a teapot or two with this handle choice for our teawares customers who want a Japanese-made teapot fabricated using Japanese clay, with Japanese aesthetics and sensibility, but which features a Western-style handle for comfort and control in pouring.
Additionally, we were drawn to the patterning effects that were contributed by the kiln and the textured surface of the clay. All in all, this teapot is a stunning selection.
Please Note:
This is a handmade item – slight variations in the painting, colors, tooling, patterning and kiln effects of Chinese and Japanese tea wares are to be expected. We have carefully photographed this item as best as possible – please be aware that different device screens can render colors and subtle tones slightly differently.
Special Note Regarding This Pot:
The filtering ‘cage’ separated partially from the body of this last-of-a-kind teapot during the firing. This can be seen in the image of the interior of the pot featuring the clay ball-strainer cage. We do not believe that this separation will cause any problem during the normal life expectancy of the teapot, but feel it important to point it out.
The separation is at the top of the cage so should not allow tea particles to enter the spout; however, when steeping a really fine-cut leaf some may sneak through when making a full pot of tea.
We have reduced the price by 25% to accommodate this minor flaw. The potter did not think it a major problem and released it for sale.
If this pot speaks to you aesthetically it is an excellent buying opportunity!
Want to know more?
How to Clean a Tokoname Teapot
How We Determine the Size & Capacity of our Teawares