Born from the earth

A yunomi (Japanese: 湯のみ) is a tall form of Japanese teacup, typically made from ceramic. Yunomi is intended to be used for everyday tea drinking. There are several styles of yunomi, and this one is made in the kurinuki style.

Kurinuki is a traditional Japanese technique of carving ceramics. It has an imperfect and rustic simplicity, evoking thoughts of the volcanic and turbulent earth.

It was my intention that cup creates a feeling of having erupted in some volcanic upheaval. I carved the cup using a loop tool and a butter knife from Buff Raku Trachyte, a beautiful and coarse material revealing dark spots when fired. 

I underglazed the cup with an ombre of red and yellow. I followed over with a white pearl glaze that I dribbled liberally around the rim resulting pearlescent dribbles and speckles in the coarse voids of the cup reminiscent of quartz impurities throughout the cup.

I will enjoy using this cup for a while and immersing myself in the ritual of wabi-sabi and the imperfection of my life. And then it will be gifted to someone who might enjoy the raw volcanic style of this work as much as I do.