This samashi is a striking caramel-yellow color with a satin-smooth eggshell finish (slight sheen) that blends well with other teawares. It is lightweight, pours well and is comfortable to hold.
Japanese water cooling pitchers, called yuzamashi or samashi, are used to lower the temperature of freshly-heated water before using the water to steep tea leaves. The idea is that after water is heated, it is poured first into the yuzamashi, and then from the yuzamashi it is poured onto the tea leaves in a teapot. Yuzamashi are especially helpful when preparing green tea and oolong, which require a cooler water temperature for steeping.
These are also wonderful as an aesthetically-pleasing open teapot for steeping various of the Chinese green teas that do not like to be covered when being steeped, and when one does not want to steep the leaf right in the cup, as so many Chinese tea enthusiasts do.
Samashi come in many sizes, different clay bodies and glaze colors. In the spirit of Japanese tea tools, these vessels do not need to match either the teapot or other teawares being used, and are purchased solely on the individual merit of design and appearance, and the usefulness of the piece. For those who do prefer matching teawares, we offer the Tokoname Japanese Tea Instructor Association Teapot, for which this samashi will be complimentary.
Please Note:
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.
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