Description
Kiyomizu-yaki Shiboridashi Kyusu, Kyoto. 150cc/5oz. Unglazed (yakishime) exterior with white glazed interior, which allows one to view the color of the tea. H. 2.75" (7cm) x W. 4.125" (10.5cm). Weight 240 grams. Shiboridashi tea pots have no handle, are often made in smaller sizes, and have no interior filter leading to a separate spout. Instead, the spout is part of the body of the tea pot and grooves are carved into this creating a filter between the body's spout and the lid of the tea pot. No handle means that teas that infuse at a lower temperature are best-suited for brewing in a shiboridashi tea pot. This includes high quality Sencha and Gyokuro.
Pottery has reportedly been made in the the Gojouzaka area around Kiyomizu Temple since the 5th C. It was in the late Muromachi Era and the Momoyama Era of the 16th and early 17th C. that Kiyomizuyaki was a leading producer of tea wares in the ancient Capitol. Still today, Kiyomizu wares demonstrate a wide variety of elegant and refined vessels long favored by Kyoto elite.