Pancake Kyusu - Red Shudei

Handmade with mineral-rich Oregon red clay, 150ml

Handmade with mineral-rich Oregon red clay, 150ml.

This lovely teapot was made by Arturo Alvarez in Washington.  It is one of 12 pots made for Totem Tea based on our collaboration.  This kyusu is made with rough texture mineral-rich red clay from Oregon.  The dark markings are made with black clay slip.

The teapot is completely unglazed and will noticeably season after a few uses, darkening as the tea tannins seep into the porous clay.  I find that this clay imparts a lovely smoothness to the tea, and I enjoy how my kyusu changed over time. 

You will notice that the clay will "breathe" a lot during the first few uses, and moisture will wick out slightly, like terra-cotta ware.  After the seasoning period, the teapot will wick much less, or none at all.  

Please see the picture of my seasoned teapot compared to a new one to see the clay color change.

Kyusu volume: 150ml