Acorn Tea Pot (Sand Black)

Compact and grounded — the weight settles in your palm like a stone worn smooth by a river.

The Acorn Teapot draws its name and silhouette from the seed of an oak — slightly full at the shoulder, tapering to a narrow base. Made by NANKEI POTTERY (南景製陶園) in the Banko-yaki tradition of Yokkaichi, Mie Prefecture, this is a one-to-two person teapot in stoneware fired without glaze using the yakishime method. The unglazed interior lets the fine surface texture do the work, softening astringency and rounding the flavour of green tea gently. Each brew deepens the colour of the clay — this is a piece that changes with you.

The Sand Black finish uses a dark clay engobe applied before firing, giving the body a warm matte depth without any sheen. At 430ml it is sized for a relaxed one-person session — unhurried, deliberate.

Shipping

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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.