Tsuyoshi Ueno

Shikoku Island is located just south of Kobe and is known for its beautiful white water rapids and dense mountain forests.  In 2005 this is where Tsuyoshi built his wood-fired kiln and now calls Kagawa his home.  His everyday life is surrounded by the beauty of nature and the four seasons which inspire his work.  Ueno specializes in the unglazed Nanban technique, which produces beautiful natural coloring that will patina with use.  The rustic appearance of the clay is counterbalanced by the delicate details and lightweight of his pieces.  All his work is fired for 7 days, cooled for another 7 days, and bare the beautiful marks of the fire on the special clay he digs up. 

The spouts are well-formed and pour slowly in long straight streams, while the strainers are made from the body itself and give less resistance to the flow of tea.  Most other strainers are made separately and attached to the body before the spout is added. The shapes are classic and sometimes whimsical but perfectly suited for brewing high-quality tea while having a little bit of fun.  Isn't that what teatime is all about? Please see the first picture of the teapot family portrait above for size reference to understand sizing differences.  We hope you will enjoy the new works of this talented artist.