New tea things just out of the kiln

After a busy winter, I finally found time to mix some glazes and test new clays in my home studio. The mizusashi is about 6" tall, and the teabowls are 4 1/2" in diameter.
Because the summers are long, very hot and dry here, I plan to make more tea things with a sense of coolness.

Clear glaze on white clay.

Chidori, plover bird.

Happy circles.

Dragonflies on hira-chawan, for summer.

Here is one more little travel chabako I put together recently. I found the metal box at a resale shop, and a vintage collapsible cup with a lid for the kensui (bowl for discarded rinse water). I made a chakin tsutsu and furidashi with marbled clay and small white stoneware chawan with similar colors. 

The chasen is extra small so I will use the plastic container as the tsutsu until I can find time to make one of aluminum.  Also, in bottom center of photo is half of a screen ball-shaped tea-infuser that I use to sift the matcha. Instead of a lacquer natsume I use a tin container that matcha came in when I first began lessons in the 80s.  (not in picture.)

Happy New Year!

Jou and Uba with trial replacement rake & broom.

Even though they were on separate shelves in an antique mall, and their broom and rake were missing, I recognized them as Jotomba, the old couple who are spirits of twin pines, in the Noh Drama called Takasago. I quickly chose them to come home with me as compliments to the natsume (tea caddy) I had acquired this year. It has a portion of a poem from Takasago written on the outside and a drawing of their broom and rake on the inside of the lid.

They often displayed at the New Year and at weddings and anniversaries. At Sensei's Hatsugama tea gathering last month, my figures were displayed in her living room, with 2 shoots of Rosemary planted in a bonsai pot, to represent the pines. I presented usucha with the Takasago natsume.

Uba (the woman) sweeps away all sorrow, and Jou (the man) rakes in blessings.
Happy New Year full of blessing to you!

Rake & broom I made for them.

Here is my new sewing project. 

I found a vintage purse in a local antique mall in December.  On the left is my first home-made navy blue goshokago (my March 2013 blog entry) on top the new one, after its handles, metal hinges & clasp were removed, to show relative size. 

The painting of a fisherman seems

an appropriate theme for a goshokago

which can be used for an outdoor tea ritual. 

Because it wasn't lined, it didn't take long 

to unfasten the handles, hinges, and clasp.  

Creating a paper pattern for the lining.

The printed silk lining is now sewn onto fabric stiffener.   

Test fitting the lining. 

The same fabric was used to line 

the chawan bukuro (tea bowl bag). 

The basket with most of the contents. 

It stills needs a ribbon tie. 

All the things for making tea fit inside,
(space for whisk is in upper right area).