Column Yunomi/Tea Cup (Matte Black)

Straight lines, matte black, no gloss — a cup that holds the table's quiet.

The Column Yunomi from NANKEI POTTERY (南景製陶園) has a cylindrical form that keeps things simple and adaptable — use it for tea, for a dessert, for whatever the table needs. The clay is high in iron content and fired without glaze, leaving the exterior surface with a dry, slightly sandy matte finish that has no smoothness, no sheen. Because the clay itself does not absorb water, there is no odour transfer — every tea brews clean in this cup. Made in the Banko-yaki tradition of Yokkaichi, Mie Prefecture.

The Matte Black clay is non-absorbent and mineral-dense, fired to a deep charcoal that stays consistent through every wash. The cup holds 240ml — a generous yunomi pour, unhurried.

Shipping

• Japan: ¥800 flat rate — free shipping on orders over ¥15,000.
• Asia: from ¥2,500 — free on orders over ¥25,000.
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South of Nagoya, along the shore of Ise Bay, Yokkaichi in Mie Prefecture has been a centre for Banko-yaki since the eighteenth century. The city's iron-rich clay and long firing tradition gave rise to a distinct stoneware character — dense, unglazed surfaces that age quietly with use. 南景製陶園 (Nankei Pottery) has worked within this tradition for decades, using a proprietary clay formula that has remained unchanged for more than fifty years. High-temperature yakishime firing drives off virtually all porosity, leaving a body that is hard, smooth to the touch, and subtly warm in colour.

The forms Nankei designs are spare and considered — nothing added that does not serve the tea. A kyusu pours cleanly; a yunomi sits without fuss in the hand. That restraint comes not from minimal effort but from sustained attention to proportion and weight. If you want to learn more about the people behind the work, our Behind the Sip article on Nankei Pottery goes further: Nankei Pottery — Banko-yaki in Yokkaichi.