山田常山 JOZAN YAMADA III
Yoshi En has recently grown out of Sunday Natural to become an independent premium tea store. As part of this transition, some products may still be shipped in Sunday Natural packaging.
| Type | Teapot with side handle: yokode kyūsu (横手急須) |
| Kiln | Tokoname Yaki (常滑焼) |
| Studio/Artist | Master Jozan Yamada III (三代山田常山) |
| Origin | Tokoname, Aichi Prefecture, Japan |
| Volume | 310ml |
| Dimensions (diameter without handle x height without knob) | 10.4 x 6.4cm |
| Weight | 260g |
| Strainer | Ceramic sieve pierced by hand |
| Production | The lid is ground to fit the body of the pot (suriawase technique, すり合わせ), a sign of originality from Tokoname |
| Artist's Stamp | Yes |
| Packaging | Wooden box with the artist's signature |
Jozan Yamada III, who died in 2005, is considered one of the greatest tea pottery masters in Japanese history. Born Minoru Yamada into one of the most famous pottery families in Tokoname in 1924, his father Yamada Jozan II (1897–1961) and his grandfather Yamada Jozan I (1868–1942), two highly respected master potters, both passed on their knowledge and experience to him early on. In 1961, after his father's death, he officially took the name Jozan Yamada III, which finally passed to his son Jozan Yamada IV in 2005. He is said to have mastered over 100 different forms of kyusu, and his nomination as a Living National Treasure in 1998 was instrumental in giving kyusu, and the wider work of Tokoname tea ceramics in general, the status of genuine pottery art. He was also president of the Society for Handmade Kyusu (手作り急須の会) and had numerous students, not least his grandson Soo Yamada.
A kyusu is a traditional Japanese teapot used for the preparation of Japanese green tea. Fired from natural clay and unglazed on the inside, the body reacts with the tea and water to bring out certain aromas while subduing others. With the tea allowed to steep free-floating in the pot and the leaves lying across the integrated strainer when pouring to prevent them from entering the cup, the kyusu allows for a more complete extraction of flavours and ingredients. The tea should always be brewed fresh, but several infusions are customary. The side handle and the knob on the lid allow for safe handling of the teapot despite the high temperature of its contents.
Throughout history, there have been hundreds of ceramic centres in Japan, located wherever the volcanic soil was rich in clay. Some are still active today, including the Six Ancient Kilns (rokkoyo) Bizen, Shigaraki, Seto, Echizen, Tamba and Tokoname, others such as Karatsu, Hagi, Mino, Shino, Oribe, Setoguro Ki-Seto and Kyo-yaki, as well as Banko in Yokkaichi, which specialises in tea ceramics in particular.
Kyusu differ according to the composition of the clay, which varies from region to region, the firing method, the handmade production steps taken, the decoration and glazing techniques as well as the overall quality, which can range from delicate to deliberately coarse. The clay as well as chosen firing technique determine the character of the kyusu, i.e. which types of flavours are lifted or subdued. Therefore, tea lovers often have different kyusu of different qualities at home in order to optimally prepare all their favourite teas. Among the finest and most valuable kyusu are those made by artists famous for their special talents in manufacturing, decoration and unique natural clay production as well as for their perfected firing techniques.
Led by the most highly awarded masters, the hierarchy of craftsmanship includes studios that still draw on the reputation of past masters, young and wild studios and family-run micro-enterprises which produce the bulk of everyday ceramics. Vintage kyusu are important collector's items made entirely from now exhausted deposits of the highest quality natural clay of the respective region, achieving tea infusions of an incomparable calibre.
The largest and oldest of the legendary Six Ancient Kilns of Japan, Tokoname has been producing high-quality earthenware since the 12th century. The particularly iron-rich clay deposits of the region give the wares their characteristic red colour which, combined with oxidation firing, are key elements in their ability to optimise the teas' flavour. A special feature of the production of kyusu from Tokoname are the lids, which are ground by hand and fit precisely.
