Analogue Life

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Kittachi Sashiba (Glaze) Mug S (100ml)

The Kittachi coffee mug has a slender, cylindrical design which retains heat well while maintaining the pleasant aroma of the contents. The mugs are made in three sizes and matching plates (saucers) for each size are available separately. An original glaze (Sashiba) gives each vessel a metallic like surface texture with richly nuanced tones that vary from piece to piece. Each mug may vary slightly in form, tone and glazing depending on the placement of the pieces during the firing process.

Analogue Life’s original Kittachi mug and plate are crafted in Saga, which is renowned as a pottery region. The process of preparing and shaping clay is conducted in Arita, and firing is done in Imari. In recent years, even as a well-known porcelain production center, it is necessary for the Arita producers to source porcelain materials from other prefectures. Fortunately the Kittachi series is made from iron-rich clay locally sourced from Saga Prefecture. Roughly formed using a mould, each mug and plate is finished by the hands of a potter in order to refine its shape. A workshop based in Imari, Saga fired the vessels at temperatures similar to early Imari-ware (early 16th century) despite the considerable time and effort needed in order to achieve the ideal surface finish of the ceramics.

An original glaze we call sashiba was developed for this series. This glaze achieves nuanced hues and tones, rather than a solid uniform color. The Chinese character whose kun reading is sashiba literally means shades and shadows. We named this glaze sashiba to reflect the varied light and shadowed tones across the surface of each piece.