The Exotic Teapot

Robert Lawarre grew up working in the family’s aerospace company.  This is where he learned to hand build parts like a machinist and fabricator.  When learning ceramics, he combined his previous skills to pottery.  Because of his appreciation for family traditions he chose to apply these aforementioned theories to Yixing teapots, bowls and cups.  His tea ware is a patchwork of surfaces made from discarded car belts to taillight lenses, which are then washed with multiple glazes.   

This contemporary white teapot was designed by Joaquim Bastos, an Industrial Design student at Escola Superior de Artes e Design in Caldas da Rainha (Portugal).   Its circular, sleek shape in basic white constitutes an unobtrusive but modern elegance.  The shiny steel stand magnifies the teapot’s globular form.   Serving white tea, pouring into white teacups or bowls would certainly harmonize and enhance the décor this teapot was designed for.

The art of paper folding, origami is not as easy as it looks.  Just as throwing a teapot on a potter’s wheel, it takes much practice and patience.  The difference is the wheel is round like a teapot, cup or bowl and rotates in a circular motion to aid in the creation whereas the paper is folded on a flat surface to create a 3-dimensional object.  Taking on such a challenge likely requires a true fan of tea and is possibly not even chosen by the origami artist unless a passionate drinker.

Mel Jacobson was an apprentice to master potter Kunio Uchida in Kyoto, Japan.  During his twelve month apprenticeship he learned that tea bowls are to be used for functional purposes and aesthetically should not overshadow the traditions of the tea ceremony.  The historical restrictions of an authentic tea bowl are:

1.      The shape is either Winter (tall sides) or Summer (open sides).

2.      There should be a dent in the bottom of the bowl.

3.      The colour of the clay should be warm (red, black, brown).

4.      There should be a ring foot with a slight asymmetric cut.

5.      There should be a nipple inside the ring foot.

Jan Schachter creates functional teaware or dinnerware as a series.  Using a pottery wheel, she intentionally alters the form of each in a set.  After decades of mixing her own hued salt glazes, Schachter then applies complimentary toned colours within the sequence.  Even though this artist professes to be a perfectionist, her concept of a perfect match is not that it be indistinguishable.