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Faceted yunomi set of three with copper-green craquelé glaze, oribe-yaki, Kyoto, late Shōwa period
Three cups that look different every time the light shifts. The copper-green glaze sits somewhere between moss and bottle glass, darker where it pools, lighter where the clay body pushes through at the faceted edges. Stacked, they are almost architectural. In use, each one is its own thing. They work equally well for a bowl of sencha, a pour of sake or a small bite alongside.
The Oribe tradition gave Japanese ceramics its first bold use of colour: a copper-green that runs, pools and breaks against the clay in ways no potter fully controls. Kyoto potters have drawn on that vocabulary for centuries alongside their own refined sensibility, and these cups sit squarely in that line. Made for the table, used and enjoyed.
Three cups that look different every time the light shifts. The copper-green glaze sits somewhere between moss and bottle glass, darker where it pools, lighter where the clay body pushes through at the faceted edges. Stacked, they are almost architectural. In use, each one is its own thing. They work equally well for a bowl of sencha, a pour of sake or a small bite alongside.
The Oribe tradition gave Japanese ceramics its first bold use of colour: a copper-green that runs, pools and breaks against the clay in ways no potter fully controls. Kyoto potters have drawn on that vocabulary for centuries alongside their own refined sensibility, and these cups sit squarely in that line. Made for the table, used and enjoyed.
What makes this yunomi set special
The up close look and feel
The copper-green glaze shifts from near-black in the recesses to bright moss at the ridges, with fine craquelé running through the whole surface.
Where the facets cut through, the warm buff clay shows as a clean line. Wide and low at 8.5 cm across, they sit comfortably in two hands and work as well for sake or a small snack as for tea.
Charming details
The faceting is a technique called mentori (面取り), face-cutting done by carving flat sections into the thrown clay before it hardens. The cuts are irreversible, which is why the best examples look decisive rather than tentative.
Here they do: the glaze deepens in every recess and thins to near-nothing at every ridge, and the effect changes with each turn of the cup.
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Copper-green glaze in the Oribe tradition with mentori faceting and craquelé.
Style and clay body consistent with Kiyomizu-yaki production.
Signature: square impressed seal in tensho script on the base of each cup.
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Period: late Shōwa period, ca. 1970s to 1980s
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Diameter: approx. 8.5 cm
Height: approx. 6 cm
Weight: 431 gr total (ca. 144 gr per cup)
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Excellent vintage condition.
No chips, cracks or repairs.
Glaze intact with full craquelé pattern consistent with age.
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Kiyomizu stoneware with craquelé glaze is best washed by hand with mild soap and warm water.
The fine craze lines are a feature of the glaze, not damage, but they can absorb strong flavours over time so rinse promptly after use.
Avoid the dishwasher and sudden temperature changes.
These cups are made for daily use and improve with it.
*Decorative items such as the whisk are for styling
and scale purposes only and not included in the sale
Meet our other tea ceremony items
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