The Ancient Rock Cup — Shino Wood-Fired Teacup

The Ancient Rock Cup — Still, Warm, Weathered

This is a quiet cup. It does not ask for attention — it settles into your hands and stays there, warm and unassuming. Its surface has the look of weathered stone: matte, layered, grey-brown and rust, touched by ash and flame over a long wood firing. It is the kind of object that improves with familiarity.

Glaze & Surface: A natural ash glaze covers the exterior, built up gradually during the wood firing as ash from the kiln settled and fused into the clay surface. The result is a matte, layered surface in tones of grey-brown, warm beige, and iron-rust — colours that shift subtly depending on the light. The glaze is thin in places, approaching the texture of bare clay; this is a characteristic of the ash glaze process rather than a defect, and gives the cup its particular earthy honesty. A small area of lighter colour is visible near the base on one side, where the glaze burned away entirely during firing. The rim is hand-pinched and naturally irregular, with a thin line of iron-brown where the glaze pooled at the lip. The interior is a warm, dark iron-brown — plain and functional.

Form & Feel:

• Round, full-bellied form — widest at the mid-body, gently narrowing toward the rim
• Irregular hand-pinched silhouette — not perfectly round; slight variations in wall height and contour are visible
• 250g weight — solid and comfortable in the hands
• Matte exterior — very tactile, warm to the touch
• Small unglazed foot ring — dark stoneware, stable

For the Art of Tea: The matte, stone-like exterior and warm interior make this cup well suited to aged pu-erh, roasted oolong, or any tea you want to drink slowly and without ceremony. It is a daily-use cup — unpretentious, honest, and satisfying to hold over a long sitting.

One of a kind. Wood-fired in a single kiln firing. Never to be repeated.

Care

Suitable for contact with tea. Hand wash gently and avoid abrasive cleaners. Variations and firing marks are part of this one-of-a-kind handmade piece.