Hakuo Kyusu, Japanese Teapot

Hakuo Kyusu. Cream and sand swirled through the clay itself.

The Hakuo Kyusu is a Tokoname teapot in a cream-white clay swirled with sandy tan, the pattern running through the body, lid, spout and handle because it is in the clay rather than painted on. The strainer is ceramic mesh fired into the pot itself at the spout, so there is no metal in the pot and nothing to replace. The side handle is held in one hand with the thumb resting on the lid, so pouring to the last drop is a turn of the wrist. At 280 ml it is the everyday size, two or three cups from one pour.

Tokoname, in Aichi Prefecture, is Japan's teapot capital and one of its oldest pottery towns, with about 900 years of kiln history. Its iron-rich red clay, shudei, is known for softening tannin, which is why tea people seek out a Tokoname kyusu.

Made in Tokoname, Aichi Prefecture, Japan.

Volume: 280 ml

Care: empty the leaves after each pot, rinse with hot water only, no detergent, and dry with the lid off.

Please note: shape, colour and capacity vary a little from pot to pot. That is the nature of handmade Japanese ceramics.

Ships Australia-wide and worldwide, with free Australian shipping on orders over $100. See the full range of Japanese teapots, or read how to choose a kyusu if this is your first pot.