{"product_id":"a","title":"Yohen Banko-Yaki Teapot - Mori Iroku IV  - 320ml","description":"\u003cp\u003eFaceted like a cut gem, with a yohen finish this is a clear step above the maker's usual work. This kyusu wears Mori Iroku's signature diamond cut, hundreds of facets carved by hand, but in place of his standard, it is finished in yohen: Using flame itself to color the clay.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe diamond cut is not molded or stamped. Each facet is carved into the clay by hand with a cutting blade, a single kyusu taking up to half a day to decorate, a technique the Iroku kiln has refined across four generations. Yohen,  is the unpredictable shift in color and surface that happens when flame, heat, and atmosphere react with the clay and its minerals during firing, an effect the potter guides but can never fully control. Here it transforms the iron-rich clay into a deep multi colored sheen, the color and patterns can never be exactly repeated.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBeneath the artistry it is a serious tea tool. Thrown from iron-rich Banko shidei clay and fitted with a fine built-in strainer, the kyusu pours cleanly from its tapered spout, while the side handle sits naturally in the hand for smooth, controlled one-handed pouring. The shidei clay is prized for gently softening the astringency of green tea, drawing out a rounder, sweeter cup from sencha and gyokuro.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAbout the artist: \u003cbr\u003eThis kyusu is the work of Mori Iroku IV (born 1963), the fourth-generation head of Iroku Toen, a Banko-ware kiln founded in 1880 in Yokkaichi, Mie Prefecture, the historic heart of Banko-yaki. He learned the family's hand-cutting techniques, including the signature diamond cut from his father, Mori Iroku III (1936-2014). Each pot is cut entirely by hand, carrying on a craft the Iroku name has held for more than 140 years.\u003cbr\u003eRecognition.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAbout Mori Iroku IV:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFourth-generation head of Iroku Toen, a Banko kiln founded in 1880 in Yokkaichi, Mie Prefecture\u003cbr\u003eRecognized as a Traditional Craftsman, certified by Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry\u003cbr\u003eTrained under his father, Mori Iroku III (1936-2014), inheriting the family's hand-cut diamond and Matsukawa pine-bark techniques.\u003cbr\u003eContinues a Banko kyusu lineage of more than 140 years\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDetails:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArtist: Mori Iroku IV \u003cbr\u003eOrigin: Yokkaichi, Mie Prefecture, Japan\u003cbr\u003eWare: Banko-yaki (iron-rich shidei clay, yohen finish)\u003cbr\u003eTechnique: Hand-cut diamond (daiya) faceting, the Iroku signature, with a special yohen fired finish\u003cbr\u003eForm: Kyusu (side-handle teapot) with built-in ceramic strainer\u003cbr\u003eCapacity: approx. 340ml\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Artisanal Japan","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45206518595699,"sku":null,"price":219.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0701\/2286\/4755\/files\/irokuyohen1.png?v=1783641914","url":"https:\/\/artisanaljapan.com\/products\/a","provider":"Artisanal Japan","version":"1.0","type":"link"}