Kyuusu Basics Workshop with Ido Ferber

Duration: 2 days, approx. 6 hours each
Number of participants: 5–8
Location: Schattbachstraße 77, 44803 Bochum
Language: English

In this two-day workshop, we welcome Ido Ferber to our studio for a deep dive into throwing Japanese teapots. Kyūsu (急須) is simply the Japanese word for "teapot" – more specifically, the small pot traditionally used to brew Sencha green teas. Ido is travelling to us specifically for this course and will bring his complete set of specialised teapot tools.

You will learn the technique of throwing off the hump, in which several small, thin-walled vessels are thrown in sequence from a single larger mass of clay – the traditional method for teapot bodies, lids, spouts and handles. Over the two days we move step by step from forming each component to assembling them into a finished pot, including the integrated strainer.

We will be working with Terre de Xing, a French homage to Yixing clay that fires to a beautiful deep red and vitrifies wonderfully – a clay particularly well-suited to teapots.

Day 1: Introduction to the tools, clay preparation and throwing teapot bodies and components off the hump.

Day 2: Trimming, attaching spouts and handles, forming the inner strainer, and assembling all parts into a finished Kyūsu.

After drying, we will fire your teapot(s) for you. You can collect your finished pieces from the studio after approx. 4–6 weeks. Alternatively, we can dispatch them for an extra charge (10 €).

Prerequisites: This workshop is aimed at participants with basic wheel-throwing experience. You should be able to comfortably centre around 1 kg of clay. Experience with throwing off the hump is helpful but not required – we will build the technique together during the workshop.

Note: Please wear clothes and shoes that can get dirty. Everything you create is food-safe and suitable for daily use.

Spend two days in a relaxed, creative atmosphere with snacks and drinks – and take home your own handcrafted Kyūsu at the end.