teapot

A 5-cup shino teapot decorated with nerikomi inlay and red dots.  The handle is hand-woven.

Approx. 6" to top of lid, 6" dia. at the hip.

Warm the teapot before adding boiling water.

Shino is an ancient Japanese glaze that varies a lot, depending on how the kiln is fired. At the stage when the glaze begins to melt, air is reduced in the kiln, forcing the flame to seek out oxygen in the glaze. As the glaze melts further, carbon particles are trapped under the glaze, creating the black and gray coloration you see in this pot. The effects vary, and are serendipitous. That’s the allure of shino- there are always surprises coming when you open the kiln. From clear salmon and beige color, to grey shadows, to black dots, to a complete black surface.