*SHIPPING OPTIONS VARY DEPENDING ON THE DESTINATION, PLEASE SCROLL TO THE END OF THIS LISTING FOR MORE DETAILS.

This listing is for a hand-painted chasen tea whisk shaper made by noted potter, Yagi Kaiho. The shaper’s job is to help your chasen maintain its shape whilst drying. After the tea whisk is dried it should be stored in a chasen zutsu. Care should be taken when placing your chasen on the shaper. Not placing the tines properly may result in broken ends. The shaper in this listing has a nice smooth surface which won’t snag the tines on your tea whisk, and it features hand-painted depictions of hotaru, or fireflies as they are known in English. A popular pastime during the rainy season is to go ‘hotaru-gari’, which means hunting for fireflies. Fireflies inhabit small streams and rice fields, and they have appeared in Japanese literature dating back to the 8th century.  It is also believed that the lights are the souls of departed soldiers who died in war. 

Yagi Kaiho (b.1950) is a Kyo-ware potter based in the Higashiyama part of Kyoto.  He graduated from the Kyoto Prefectural Ceramics Training School in 1966, and studied under master potter Kato Josui.  In 1988 he performed a wheel-throwing demonstration for the emperor and empress, and in 1988 he received the Governors Award at the 10^th Kyo and Kiyomizu-ware Exhibition held in Kyoto city.  In 1990 he held a solo exhibition at the Ginza Matsuzakaya Art Gallery, and he was selected to exhibit at the International Garden and Greenery Exposition in Osaka.  In 1993 he performed wheel-throwing demonstrations at the Modern Kyo and Kiyomizu-ware Exhibition in Paris, and in 1994 he was selected for the 23rd Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition in Kinki.  In 1995 he received an award at the 24^th Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition, and in 2001 he received the Governors Award at the 43^rd Iroe Ceramics Exhibition.  He also held a solo exhibition at Nihonbashi Department store in Tokyo.  In 2003 he was certified as a Traditional Craftsman of Kyo-ware by the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.  **Fellow sellers, this information was researched by Kominka Zakka and cannot be used in your own listings.

Kyo-ware originated in the 17th century in Kyoto and features overglaze enamel pigments on a porcelain base. The porcelain base acts as white canvas, allowing for beautiful and superior quality designs to be painted. Kyo-ware artisans traditionally produced chawan and utensils for the tea ceremony, however contemporary potters specialize in tableware, tea ceremony items, incense holders, and okimono. Kyo-ware was designated as a traditional craft in 1977.                                                                        

Sizes

Paper Box:  H.8.2cm (3.2”) x 7.9cm (3.1”) x 7.9cm (3.1”)

Shaper:  H.7cm (2.7”)                                                                                                              

Condition

It’s a brand new item with no chips or cracks.                                                                       

THESE ARE SHIPPING ESTIMATES BASED ON THE CURRENT GLOBAL SITUATION                                                                 

**Germany, France, Greece, Spain, Poland, Austria, Slovakia, Lithuania, Slovenia:  NO SHIPPING.  Very strict and expensive packaging laws in place and we are not licensed to send products to these countries.  We have no plan to register at this time because the process is in some cases very expensive and complicated, plus each country has its own set of regulations and application process. 

**USA:  EMS Express (approx. 7-15 days).  Combined shipping available (please send us a message) but please note that the price does not get cheaper for Airmail or EMS, in fact it becomes more expensive.  If you want to save money and don't mind a very long 3 month wait, request sea mail (11-12 weeks depending on processing and backlogs at destination ports). Inexpensive Airmail Small Packet option unavailable.

**UK and Canada:  EMS Express (approx. 7-15 days).  Combined shipping available (please send us a message) but please note that the price does not get cheaper for EMS, in fact it becomes more expensive.  If you want to save money and don't mind a very long 3 month wait, request sea mail (11-12 weeks depending on processing and backlogs at destination ports). Inexpensive Airmail Small Packet and regular Airmail is currently unavailable.

**Australia, New Zealand, Switzerland, Norway: Airmail ePacket (approx. 15-28 days).  Combined shipping available up to 2kgs for Airmail ePacket (please send us a message).

**Asia:  Airmail ePacket (approx. 15-21 days).  Combined shipping available up to 2kgs for Airmail ePacket (please send us a message).

**Russia:  No shipping methods available.