Cone Small Yunomi/Tea Cup (Matte Black)

Eighty millilitres — small enough for a single, perfect pour of gyokuro.

The Cone Small Yunomi from NANKEI POTTERY (南景製陶園) is the espresso-sized cup in the Banko-yaki lineage from Yokkaichi, Mie Prefecture. The exterior follows the same iron-rich Matte Black stoneware as the full Sencha Kyusu series — conical lines, unglazed outer surface that grows in texture and depth with every use. The interior is glazed with a soft grey-white finish so you can follow the colour of your tea as it pours. Non-absorbent clay means no flavour memory between sessions.

Matte Black here is fired from high-iron, non-absorbent clay — the deep charcoal exterior is dry and consistent, with no gloss. At 80ml, this is the right size for concentrated gyokuro or the first, most flavourful pour from a sencha session. Stackable for storage.

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.