Japanese Rose Donabe Clay Pot | Banko Body + Seto Lid Earthenware Hot Pot, 25 cm Serves 2-3

A working donabe with a painter's lid. The body is fired in Banko-yaki — the Mie clay that gives Japanese donabe their thermal-shock resistance — while the lid is hand-painted in Seto-yaki, the Aichi tradition that has been doing overglaze enamel since the 13th century. Roses in pink and lavender wrap the lid like a garden in bloom; the body underneath is matte iron-black, with the lower band left as unglazed earthenware where the flame meets the pot. Sized 8-gō (~25 cm / ~9.8" diameter), it serves a family of two to three.

Spec

• Made by 亜福窯 (Afuku-gama) / Banko Ware (body) and Seto Ware (lid) in Mie & Aichi Prefectures, Japan, curated by ZenKiln
• Materials: earthenware — Body: Banko-yaki (Mie) · Lid: Seto-yaki (Aichi)
• Tradition: both ware traditions are designated traditional crafts of Japan — Banko 1979, Seto 1977
• Set contents: 1 donabe body + 1 hand-painted lid (2 pieces, sold as one set)

Dimensions

• External diameter: ~25 cm (~9.8") — supplier-measured
• Form-class label: 8-gō (Japanese catalogue size; "8号" is a pottery catalogue label, not a precise measurement — industry-conventional 8-gō donabe range ~24–25 cm)
• Serves: 2–3 people (supplier-rated)
• Overall height, weight, capacity: not published by the supplier; will measure on first-unit dispatch

How to use

• Nabemono one-pot stews — sukiyaki, shabu-shabu, yose-nabe; cook from a cold start on a gas hob
• Donabe rice (土鍋ご飯) — 1.5–2 cups dry rice for a 2–3 person serving
• Slow simmer — kakuni, oden, kabocha in dashi; porous earthenware holds gentle heat better than metal
• Tableside serving — the lid finial doubles as a small condiment dish when flipped upside-down

Before first use — seasoning

Banko donabe traditionally need a rice-porridge seasoning: cook a thin rice gruel (粥) in the pot for 30–60 minutes on low heat, then cool slowly. This seals the porous earthenware and reduces cracking on the first hard cook.

Care

• Hand-wash with warm water and a soft sponge — no soaking, no steel wool on the painted lid
• Heat from cold on low; no thermal shock (never place a hot pot on cold stone or wet surfaces)
• Microwave / dishwasher: supplier did not publish a rating — we recommend against both as a default
• Dry the body fully before storing