Color Shade Variations

Each piece has individual color shade variations. Affected by glazes and natural firing conditions such as changes in temperature, humidity and other climate elements and also how to receive the fire in the kiln chamber, each piece has own expression. It is really difficult to make the completed ware exactly same in color by firing and glazing even when the same materials are used. 100 pieces show 100 kinds of expressions, as it were.

Color Irregularities

There are color irregularities of applying a glaze or slip, which are different from part to part in a piece of ware. For example, some parts are glazed thinly or thickly depending on the shape of the ware. That leads to part-to-part subtle differences in appearance of the clay in a piece of ware.

Glaze or Slip Drips

The glaze or slip may look like dripping. There is unevenness of a glaze or slip when they are applied to ware by hand. There also appear glaze drips or slip drips, which are caused by the glaze or slip flows during firing.

Pinholes

Pinholes may be seen clearly on the surface. Pottery (earthenware) is mainly made from earth, and green ware contains a lot of air while biscuit firing. While glazed firing, this air inside the biscuit ware becomes air bubbles, which remain and look like small holes on the surface of the glazed part. Those small holes are called pinholes.

Crazing (Chaps)

Crazing (having chaps) may appear clearly on the glazed part. The “direct” crazing means having chaps originally. The “aging” crazing means having chaps over time as you use the tableware item. There is a difference between the shrinkage rate of the glaze and that of the clay, so crazing occurs. Note that those cracks do not come from the damage of tableware items. They might appear just before use, but it is no problem in terms of use. They appear on the surface of pottery (earthenware) and semi-porcelain.

Iron in Powder

Iron in powder may be seen clearly on the surface. Pottery (earthenware) is made from earth, which contains iron. After firing green ware, iron appears on the surface in the form of black dots. Red or black earthen clay contains much more iron, and as a result, not a little iron in powder may appear on the surface of tableware items made from this type of clay.

Warping

Warping in shape may be clearly seen. Ceramic ware is made out of clay, so even after formed, green ware is relatively soft and wobbly. Therefore, when it is made dry, it is affected by natural conditions such as temperature and humidity, so each piece may look different in size and shape and perhaps warping in shape may appear.

metal mark

Metal marks may appear by using metal cutlery where knives, forks or spoons touch the surface of dishware leaving black or gray lines. This is due to adhesion of metal particles on dishware with regular use of cutlery. These marks are not technically scratches, but are tough to remove.

Microwave Safe

A microwave oven heats or cooks food very quickly using short electromagnetic waves, namely, microwaves. In most cases, the microwaves heat the water content of the food. However, in some cases, the microwaves concentrate on the carbonized (burnt) parts of the food, causing the temperature to rise higher than the other parts. For example, the microwaves concentrated on the carbonized (burnt) parts of stir-fried vegetables can create a large temperature difference in /on the tableware item, which may cause breakage. In addition to water content, oil content is also heated. The oil has a higher boiling point than the water, so it heats up at a higher temperature, creating a very large temperature difference between the parts that contain oil and the parts that do not, which can cause breakage.

・Never soak hot tableware in water or place it on the cold kitchen counter. Avoid rapidly heating frozen foods or putting [the cold tableware just taken out of the refrigerator] in the microwave. A rapid change in temperature will lead to “crazing” (chaps) or breakage.

※The products with gold or silver paintings, or applied with particular glazes are not microwave safe. We put a “Do Not Microwave” sticker on those items, so please confirm it.

※Accessories etc., made of other materials are excluded from microwave safe items.

Oven Safe

・Wipe water on the surface of tableware before putting it in the oven. Never soak hot tableware in water or place it on the cold kitchen counter. Avoid rapidly heating frozen foods or putting [the cold tableware just taken out of the refrigerator] in the oven. A rapid change in temperature will lead to “crazing” (chaps) or breakage.

・Never soak hot tableware in water or place it on the cold kitchen counter. Avoid rapidly heating frozen foods or putting [the cold tableware just taken out of the refrigerator] in the microwave. A rapid change in temperature will lead to “crazing” (chaps) or breakage.

・In cleaning, do not use a metal scrubber, etc. to get rid of the burns or strong dirt and so on resulting from cooking, which may damage the surface.

・High heat may change the color of tableware, but there is no problem in terms of use. It will be restored to the old color after cooled.

Dishwasher Safe

As for the products without the "Not Dishwasher Safe" stickers, please make sure to use them keeping the below matters in mind.

※If tableware items collide each other in the dishwasher, they will get broken.

※Most ceramic items absorb water. Even if the surface looks dry, there may still be some water in the tableware, which may cause your tableware to get moldy or smelly. So, please take it out of the dishwasher immediately after use, and dry thoroughly in a place where it can be exposed to the outside air.