Elegant & noble black Japanese handmade teapot with beautiful lid. Body is carbon black with oil drop pattern with delicate shine. The black comes from reduction firing with rice-hulls in kiln. (Smoked) Melt pure gold was applied on lid knob, that makes teapot look gorgeous. And the gold lid makes the black more beautiful. After 1st firing (red teapot), apply glaze on surface fire again , then go reduction firing (smoked. becomes black teapot) , apply pure gold on lid-knob the fire again. It is originally red clay. You can see it inner side of the lid. (lid was not smoked) It was not easy to have beautiful oil drop pattern at first, Shoryu said. He had been tried some years to have ideal pattern constantly. Because change of weather and season (temperature and humidity in the air) affect to the pattern. The surface is glazed and its texture is smooth and natural, inside is unglazed, so that tea and water touches the clay – that makes tea taste better. This teapot is rather light, body is relatively thin. The artist Syoryu developed own light clay after 3 years of research. Good to brew any kind of tea. There are many good reputation especially green tea, white tea brewing. Artist Bio: Born in 1945. 60 years of teapot work , as of 2020. In 2018, received The Order of the Sacred Treasure, Silver Rays from the government for his long year contribution to the Japan’s traditional art craft. Please also see Syoryu Teapot Story https://shihateacomfort.com/shoryuplum Capacity：260ml Artsit: SHORYU Box: Wood Box