Tokoname Japanese Clay Teapots - Dark Brown Shikunshi

 
 

Artist: Gyokudo ( UMEHARA Shirobei )
Strainer-style: Clay ball-strainer
Packing: Paulownia wood box, artist signed and tied with signature ribbon

The designs on this superbly crafted teapot represent the Four Gentlemen: orchid, bamboo, chrysanthemum and plum blossoms. These plants herald their respective seasons: the orchid for spring, the bamboo for summer, the chrysanthemum for autumn, and the plum blossom for winter. Each flower is carved in a panel, as if looking out a window onto a natural scene. The red-orange color is actually the color of the clay after the initial firing: the teapot is fired a second time which gives the uncarved, glass-smooth surfaces a lovely dark brown color. The teapot has been polished by hand to a very high luster. Each of these teapots is very time consuming for Gyokudo to create, and the spectacular results he achieves is a joy to behold.