Hagi-yaki yunomi set of five shira-hagi white glaze Taizan kiln arranged with original tomobako, Shōwa period Japan

Original kiln shiori documentation from Taizan-gama 泰山窯 Hagi-yaki, history and care instructions included with yunomi set, Hagi Yamaguchi Prefecture Japan

Set of five shira-hagi Hagi-yaki yunomi stored in original signed tomobako, Taizan kiln Japan, cups in excellent condition, Shōwa period

Shira-hagi Hagi-yaki yunomi by Taizan kiln, front view on wooden display, white rice straw ash glaze with russet cloud markings over terracotta clay, Japan Shōwa period

Shira-hagi Hagi-yaki yunomi by Taizan kiln, three-quarter angle showing glaze variation from pooled white to warm terracotta, fine kannyu crazing, Japan Shōwa period

Stack of five shira-hagi yunomi by Taizan kiln 泰山窯 Hagi-yaki, front view showing scale and complete set, warm white glaze with russet cloud markings, Japan Shōwa period

Interior view of shira-hagi Hagi-yaki yunomi by Taizan kiln, white and russet glaze with soft sheen and fine crazing, warm terracotta clay visible at rim, Japan

Shira-hagi Hagi-yaki yunomi Taizan kiln, angled view showing form and transition from glazed body to unglazed foot, terracotta clay, Japan Shōwa period

Base of Hagi-yaki yunomi by Taizan kiln 泰山窯, impressed kiln stamp on unglazed terracotta kodai foot, rough Hagi clay texture, Japan Shōwa period

Shira-hagi Hagi-yaki yunomi by Taizan kiln, side view showing white glaze pooling in clouds over warm russet clay, characteristic Hagi texture, Japan

Interior of shira-hagi Hagi ware yunomi, Taizan kiln Japan, white rice straw ash glaze with orange tones and fine kannyu crazing throughout

Shira-hagi yunomi by Taizan kiln Hagi-yaki, showing russet clay asserting through thinned white glaze, gohonte-style markings, Shōwa period Japan

Hagi-yaki shira-hagi yunomi Taizan kiln, predominantly white glaze with soft cloud pattern, showing natural variation within the set, Japan

Shira-hagi Hagi-yaki yunomi by Taizan kiln showing unglazed terracotta foot and kiri-kodai notched detail, characteristic Hagi ware feature, Japan Shōwa period

Interior close-up of shira-hagi Hagi ware yunomi, Taizan kiln Japan, soft white glaze with warm undertone and fine crazing visible at the base

Five shira-hagi Hagi-yaki yunomi by Taizan kiln viewed upside down showing glaze variation across the set, each cup carrying a different cloud pattern, Japan

Unglazed terracotta feet of five Hagi-yaki yunomi by Taizan kiln 泰山窯, showing rough Hagi clay texture and impressed kiln stamps, Japan Shōwa period

Five shira-hagi Hagi-yaki yunomi feet by Taizan kiln, overhead view showing unglazed bases and the characteristic rough texture of Hagi clay, Japan

Five shira-hagi Hagi-yaki yunomi by Taizan kiln, side angle showing feet and form, Shōwa period Japan, set of five in excellent vintage condition

Tomobako lid with 泰山窯 Taizan kiln seal and calligraphy signature, original paulownia wood box for Hagi-yaki shira-hagi yunomi set, Japan Shōwa period

Five shira-hagi Hagi-yaki yunomi stacked showing white interior glaze and glaze variation, Taizan kiln Japan, vintage Japanese tea cups for sencha or gyokuro

Set of five Hagi-yaki yunomi in original tomobako box, signed, Taizan kiln, shira-hagi glaze, Shōwa period

Name: Hagi-yaki yunomi set five Taizan kiln shira-hagi Showa | KAIKO&CO
Brand: KAIKO&CO
Price: 260.0 EUR
Availability: InStock

€260.00

Five cups that move together without being identical. The glaze is the color of old paper washed with rust, white pooling in clouds where it thickens, warm terracotta clay pushing through where it thins. Each cup carries this differently. Set them on a table and the effect is immediate: a family of objects made from the same impulse, none of them the same.

These cups are wide and generous, substantial enough to hold with both hands and feel warmth come through the clay. Hagi-yaki has been placed second only to Raku by tea masters for four centuries. The shira-hagi glaze, made from rice straw ash fired until the carbon burns away, is among the most refined expressions of that tradition.

The set comes with its original signed and stamped tomobako and the kiln's own shiori, giving it a provenance completeness that is unusual for Shōwa-period teaware.

What makes this Hagi ware yunomi set special

The up close look and feel

Pick one up and the contrast is immediate. The glazed body is smooth despite what lies beneath, the surface calm and slightly luminous.

Turn it over and the foot tells the other story: coarse, sandy Hagi clay, rough to the touch, the kind of material that absorbs as much as it holds.

Where the glaze thins along the lower body the terracotta pushes through, and fine crazing runs throughout.

Charming details

The five cups are not identical. The clouding pattern on each one developed independently during firing, shaped by how the glaze moved in the heat.

Hold them side by side and you can trace how the kiln worked differently on each piece. They are a set in origin and in use, but each one carries a slightly different record of the same fire.

- Hagi-yaki ware. Shira-hagi style: white rice straw ash glaze over iron-rich Hagi clay.
- Characteristic kannyu crazing throughout.
- Kiln: Taizan-gama (泰山窯), Hagi-yaki. Located in Tsubaki, Hagi-shi, Yamaguchi Prefecture.
- The tomobako lid is signed and stamped with the 泰山窯 seal by the kiln master.
- Original kiln shiori documentation included.
- Tsubaki, Hagi-shi, Yamaguchi Prefecture.
- Shōwa period, ca. 1960 to 1985.
- Height: ca. 6.8 cm
- Diameter: ca. ø 10 cm
- Weight per cup: ca. 172 g
- Total set weight: ca. 860 gr (excluding the box)
- Very good vintage condition. The cups appear unused.
- Glaze is even and intact across the set.
- No chips, cracks or repairs.
- Hagi-yaki is among the most porous of Japanese ceramics.
- Before first use, soak each cup in warm water for two to three hours to settle the clay.
- Never use soap, as it absorbs into the clay and will affect the taste of your tea.
- Rinse by hand with warm water after each use and allow to dry fully before storing.
- Over time, tea will stain the glaze through the crazing, deepening the color in a process the Japanese call nanabake, the seven transformations. This is the cup becoming yours.