Red raku 'chawan' - Shouraku workshop
In 2019, we visited master Sasaki, from whom we received two types of raku chawan cups, as worthy representatives of our matcha teas.
One is the famous black, aka kuro raku, and the other is the red, aka raku cup.
The history of raku chawan (tea pot) and matcha has been inseparable since Sen no Rikyu.
Traditionally created for the consumption of matcha tea, a vessel that embodies nature and the wabi sabi approach, which is fired and created in a special way.
The cup is made from a block of clay, it is not a disk-shaped vessel, but a moroccan vessel, which is continuously deepened, cut and shaped.
Az aka raku, means red cup. It has a pleasant, silky, glassy feel. The matcha tea looks beautiful in it and it is also a magical experience to drink from this cup.
Aka raku cups typically have black, graphite-colored spots here and there. This is achieved by putting charcoal next to the partially burnt cup and burning it until it gets the characteristic spots.
One of the photos shows Sasaki sensei demonstrating this to us.
Raku-yaki (raku ceramics) is one of the most well-known types of ceramics in Japan. Raku ceramics are considered the highest-ranking teaware, which can be used at tea ceremonies and tea gatherings.
Raku (Raku-yaki) pottery has a long history and is believed to have been made by Chohjiroh, the founder of the Raku family, about 450 years ago.
Sen no Rikyuh, who in the XVI. The Raku-yaki cup made by Chohjiroh, the famous tea master of the 19th century and the creator of modern tea ceremonies with a wabi-sabi approach, found it the most suitable for preparing and drinking matcha tea.
The Sasaki family is well known for their traditional Raku-yaki, raku ceramics, found in the Shouraku pottery workshop and kiln.
The Shouraku kiln itself opened in 1903 and is one of Kyoto's traditional Raku-yaki kilns.
We were lucky enough to meet and make a black raku chawan (matcha tea cup) for Balázs with Yamato Sasaki, the son of Teruo Sasaki and the fourth generation of the Shouraku kiln.
Kirai (Kíoshitsu) Kiln Pottery creates avant-garde and innovative works that are not limited by traditional style while still following traditional Raku-yaki techniques.
The Shouraku kiln, on the other hand, strictly follows the steps and traditional methods of Raku-yaki.
