Tea Pots-Kyusu / Yakishime / Kurashiki / Nagai Ken
Yakishime Tea Pots by Nagai Ken
One of the most refined functional yakishime (high-fired unglazed stoneware) ware potters certainly has to be Nagai Ken(b.1959), Nagai is based in Kurashiki, Okayama and fires a unique 'swirling fire' noborigama. Nagai studied in Kyoto, then went to Echizen for three years, Tachikui for more then twenty and then built a new studio in Kurashiki in 2009. His works have the tonal firing quality of some Tamba, yet the clay comes not from there yet from Hirakata in Osaka. His works are thin, yet sturdy and quite light, how does he do it? Truly an exceptional functional ware potter. Here are two of his tea pots, everything is in harmony from the everted lip to the small carved balls on the lid that jangle. The largest holds 650cc and is sold, the smaller one holds 400cc and is sold, no boxes. The noted cups are all sold, we also have some taller and smaller cups, plates and bowls.