WhereAn iron glaze
SinceA glaze, not a place
KindStoneware
The story
Tenmoku is not a place but a glaze: a dark, iron-rich glaze first admired on tea bowls brought to Japan from China. The name is said to come from Mount Tianmu, where Japanese monks studied.
In the kiln the iron glaze breaks into silver and blue streaks and spots, so each piece fires into its own small night sky.
What to look for
- A dark, iron-rich glaze
- Silver and blue streaks
- Glaze that pools and breaks at the rim
