This pot was part of my MFA thesis, Tea Time with the Devil.

I made hundreds of teabowls over the last year in an attempt to arrive at some that I liked. I tried all sorts of clay formulations, different firings, glaze combinations and making techniques. It was a very enjoyable exploration even though most of the teabowls ended up in the trash.

I did get some winners!

This one was gas fired in a small kiln and then removed at top temperature (around 2250°F) with a pair of metal tongs. This technique is called hikidashi and I saw it quite a bit in Japan. It cools the pot very rapidly in oxidation. This made the tenmoku glaze (which is normally dark brown-black) into a beautiful deep green. It also had the effect of coloring the clay a light tan or beige color.

I included some granite chunks in this batch of clay and you can see those prominently, too. The feldspar chunks in the granite are partially melted out.

I also brushed some jun glaze on one part of the inside of the bowl, which flowed and turned that area blue.

All of these teabowls were named after trails I have frequented near Logan, Utah.

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The glaze on this pot is mostly my tenmoku with kaki and jun brushed over. The deep rich color of this glaze comes primarily from iron. Iron presents a challenge, though: It is a flux, so it tends to make the glaze melt at a lower temperature and drip off the pot. After many experiments, I succeeded in making a stable tenmoku that had the characteristics I was looking for.

This glaze contains 57% Devil’s Playground granite plus 5% basalt from near Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve in Idaho. Full recipe can be viewed on my blog.

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Dimensions: Approximately 3.5” tall x 6” wide

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My pots are microwave, dishwasher and oven safe. They are made with stoneware clay and fired to cone 10, which is about 2300 degrees Fahrenheit.

If a pot you like is sold out, let me know and I can make you a similar one. I also take commissions of all sorts, so just email me if you have an idea.

I ship internationally quite often; this is no problem, but it may require a little extra postage. It is hard to estimate as it changes from country to country. For international orders, I will contact you if there is a big difference in the shipping cost after I ship the pots.

I typically ship with USPS or UPS and send tracking information after posting each order.

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See the short video below for me handling this pot…