What is a Japanese tea set called?

A yunomi (Japanese: 湯のみ) is a tall form of a Japanese teacup, typically made from a ceramic material and having no handle.

 

A kyūsu (急須) is a traditional Japanese teapot mainly used for brewing green tea.

Being taller than wide, with a trimmed or turned foot it is a relatively large hot drink vessel, compared with more formal tea-drinking cups. Unlike the more formal chawan tea bowl which is used during the Japanese tea ceremony, the yunomi is made for daily (or informal) tea drinking. Although it is made in either stoneware or ceramic pottery, there are aesthetic reasons for choosing one or the other.

 

There are special pairs of yunomi called meoto yunomi (meoto means "married couple"). Meoto yunomi usually consist of two cups with the same pattern (sometimes in different colours) but slightly different sizes and often slightly different shapes (the larger cup being the "husband" and the smaller being the "wife" cup). This pairing is popular for wedding gifts.

 

The common misconception is that a kyūsu always has a side handle. However, the word "kyūsu" merely means "teapot", even though in common usage kyūsu usually does refer to a teapot with a side handle.

 

The two most common types of kyūsu are yokode kyūsu (横手急須, side hand(le) teapot), which has a side handle and which is the more common type, and ushirode kyūsu (後手急須, back hand(le) teapot), which has a rear handle, just like teapots in other parts of the world;[1] there are also uwade kyūsu (上手急須, top hand(le) teapot).

 

Tokoname ware is known for its kyūsu. In smaller types, some of the lids can be crafted in such a way that they will not fall off due to water adhesion. The spout also has to be crafted with an angle that no drops will leak back from it while pouring.