Shino Water Pitchers 2025

Functional Pottery for Daily Use

These water pitchers are designed for actual use—pouring water, serving beverages, or holding flowers. Wheel-thrown from brown stoneware clay, each pitcher has a bowed shoulder and narrowed neck.

Shino Glaze Tradition

Shino is one of the classic Japanese pottery glazes, traditionally wood-fired to high temperatures. This version was fired to cone 10 at Callanwolde in Atlanta. The glaze produces glossy finish surfaces with natural variations in color—from cream to orange to deep brown—and sometimes red if you're lucky.

The iron spotting visible on these ceramic pitchers comes from the brown stoneware clay body. The iron in the clay migrates through the shino glaze during firing, creating the characteristic orange and brown spots. This interaction between clay and glaze is something you can't fully control or replicate—each piece develops its own pattern.

The Making

Each pitcher was thrown individually on the wheel, then trimmed to refine the shape and add a foot ring. Handles were pulled from the same brown stoneware and attached while the clay was still workable. After the first bisque firing, two layers of shino glaze were applied before the final high-fire.

The pitchers were fired together in the same kiln load, yet they came out slightly different. Variations in glaze thickness, kiln position, and flame path all contribute to the final surface. Depending on the kiln position, the exact temperature will be different leading to different glaze finishing. This is the nature of handmade pottery—consistency in process, variation in result.

Design Intent

The form is straightforward: larger body for volume and narrowed neck for control. No unnecessary decoration. The beauty comes from the glaze surface, the iron spotting, and the simple functional shape. These are ceramic vessels meant to be used regularly and displayed.