About Banko-Yaki Kyusu Teapot, "Sudare" - Suigetsu III - 390ml

A round-bodied Banko-yaki kyusu by Shimizu Suigetsu III, third-generation master of the Suigetsu kiln in Yokkaichi, Mie Prefecture, and one of the most decorated living potters working in the ware.

Broad pale bands run from foot to shoulder, each one slightly different in width, tapering and swelling as it climbs, standing clear against a near black ground. They do not sit flat. Cut into the dark between and behind them is a second layer, a fine web of thin lines crossing at shallow angles, faint as thread. The bold stands in front, the fine falls away behind, and the body gains a depth it has no right to have on a surface this smooth. It reads like a sudare, the bamboo blind, its slats hanging in order and its binding threads catching the light between them.

On the lid the same bands radiate from the knob and the fine web gathers with them, so the pattern arrives at a centre rather than stopping at the rim.

Nothing here is painted or glazed. Suigetsu cuts the design into the clay with the sandblasting technique that has become his signature, working the surface back to several precisely controlled depths. Depth is what makes the colour. The broad bands are cut shallow and come up bright pewter. The threads between them are cut finer and read cooler. The untouched clay stays near black. One body, no pigment, and the whole design stands in relief under the fingertips. Because it is cut into the clay rather than laid on top, it cannot chip, craze, fade or wear away.

The interest is in the contrast of scales. Anyone can rule a wide band. Holding a hairline at a consistent depth across a curved wall, in the gaps between bands that are already cut, with no way to correct an overrun, is another order of control. That is where this pot separates itself.

Spout, knob and side handle are left in bare clay, a soft gunmetal that takes light quietly and keeps the eye on the body. The handle is long and waisted where the fingers close, flaring at the end, set at the angle that tips the pot forward into the pour. The lid seats flush in a cut collar and the pattern carries across the join. The spout draws to a fine mouth for a clean cut-off.

Banko clay is dense and iron-rich, with the steady heat retention that has made the ware a standard for sencha and gyokuro for generations. Made to be used.

One of a kind. Supplied with its original signed wooden box and papers.

About the Artist

Shimizu Suigetsu III is among the most decorated living masters of Banko-yaki. He has been recognized at national ceramic and traditional craft exhibitions including the Japan Traditional Art Crafts Exhibition, with more than 20 honours over his career, and his work has been presented to members of the Japanese Imperial Household. His pots are held in collections in Japan and internationally, and his output is small. Work of this calibre rarely leaves Japan.

Details & Specifications

• Origin: Yokkaichi, Mie Prefecture, Japan
• Artist: Shimizu Suigetsu III
• Ware: Banko-yaki
• Type: Kyusu (side-handled Japanese teapot)
• Finish: Broad band and fine line pattern, sandblasted to multiple depths, no paint or glaze
• Material: Natural Banko clay
• Capacity: 390 ml

Care

Rinse with warm water soon after use and remove the leaves promptly. No soap or dishwasher. Let the pot dry fully, lid off, before storing.