{"product_id":"japanese-tea-cup-set-by-mori-iroku-iv-yohen-finish-banko-yaki-yunomi-pair","title":"Japanese Tea Cup Set by Mori Iroku IV - Yohen Finish, Banko-yaki Yunomi Pair  200ml","description":"\u003cp\u003eWhat sets this pair apart is the yohen. Literally \"kiln change,\" yohen is a natural shift in color and surface that happens when flame, heat, and atmosphere react with the iron in the clay during firing, an effect the potter guides but can never fully command. Here it washes each cup in deep reds, slate blues, warm bronze, and flashes of gold, like oil on water. No two are alike, and these two will never be repeated. This is Mori Iroku's IV special yohen finish, a clear step above his everyday work.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe surface is carved entirely by hand, one cut at a time, until the whole cup is wrapped in his signature \"Diamond cut\". Where the carving meets the yohen firing, each facet catches the light at a slightly different tone, so the color seems to move as you turn it in the hand.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBeneath the artistry they are honest, everyday tea tools. Thrown from iron-rich Banko clay, the faceted walls give the hand a secure, tactile grip, and the gently flared rim sits cleanly on the lip. The unglazed iron clay is prized for softening the astringency of green tea, drawing a rounder, sweeter cup from sencha, hojicha, or genmaicha. Sized for tea, they also make a quiet pair of cups for sake or a slow evening pour.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA set made to be used daily and admired often, a small showcase of one of Banko ware's most demanding finishes, and a gift that arrives looking like a museum piece.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAbout the artist:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThese cups are 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-carving and finishing techniques, including the signature diamond cut and the Matsukawa pine-bark pattern, from his father, Mori Iroku III (1936-2014). Each piece is carved entirely by hand, carrying on a craft the Iroku name has held for more than 140 years.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRecognition:\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 and carved finishing techniques\u003cbr\u003eContinues a Banko pottery lineage of more than 140 years\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDetails:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArtist: Mori Iroku IV (fourth generation)\u003cbr\u003eOrigin: Yokkaichi, Mie Prefecture, Japan\u003cbr\u003eWare: Banko-yaki (iron-rich clay, yohen kiln finish)\u003cbr\u003eTechnique: Signature Diamond cut with a one-of-a-kind yohen fired finish\u003cbr\u003eForm: Yunomi (Japanese teacup), matched set of 2\u003cbr\u003eCapacity: approx. 200ml each\u003cbr\u003eCare: hand-wash with water only, no soap, and air-dry to protect the clay and the yohen surface.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Artisanal Japan","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45259358535795,"sku":null,"price":159.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0701\/2286\/4755\/files\/Yohen_Yunomi_larger_844a2722-202d-4fd9-b00e-4170bc777bb6.jpg?v=1784323747","url":"https:\/\/artisanaljapan.com\/products\/japanese-tea-cup-set-by-mori-iroku-iv-yohen-finish-banko-yaki-yunomi-pair","provider":"Artisanal Japan","version":"1.0","type":"link"}