Catalog: Artists: Ceramics: Pottery: Cups (11)

Not to be confused with the Olympic medalist, this Tomita Hiroyuki (b. 1977) is a talented potter pushing the bounds of an otherwise conservative field where many ceramic forms are carried forward for centuries and sometimes millennia. Beginning his artistic endeavors in the field of metal casting, he soon met and became a student to Ijuin Mariko who introduced him to the world of ceramics...

A harmonious blend of traditional craftsmanship and contemporary artistic expression, this extraordinary sake cup (guinomi) encapsulates the essence of Oribe pottery while infusing it with a fresh and modern interpretation. The surface is adorned with a striking interplay of colors and textures. Vibrant and richly glazed, it displays a fusion of deep emerald greens, ferrous reds, sumi blacks, and pearlescent whites...

A traditionally crafted Bizen sake cup with a rich mineral glaze giving this guinomi a metallic look. The craftsman who made this piece, Takahiro Ishii, was born in Tokyo in 1977, and, after studying ceramics for a number of years, he moved to Bizen to become a ceramics teacher and later opened his own kiln. He takes a philosophic approach to his work as evidenced by the following quote, “As a ceramicist, I feel that the point is not just to produce pieces...

If you are familiar with the work of Hiramatsu Ryoma you know that he creates very unconventional ceramics inspired by forms found in nature. Here we have a set of sake cups he describes as “Ou-tekko” (pyrite) and “Ammonite” (same in English - a kind of sea fossil). Part of a series he has been developing, the ancient Ammonite fossil has been the inspiration behind his latest creations. Pyrite, meanwhile refers to the metallic patterning on the outer surface of the clay body...

Looking something akin to dragon skin with gilded beads glistening between the scales, this recent creation by young artist Hiramatsu Ryoma demonstrates his creative imagination and challenges the traditional boundaries of what defines a guinomi (Saké cup)...

Looking something akin to dragon skin with gilded beads glistening between the scales, this recent creation by young artist Hiramatsu Ryoma demonstrates his creative imagination and challenges the traditional boundaries of what defines a guinomi (Saké cup)...

A traditionally crafted Bizen sake cup shaped in the tradition of Oribe. The rich mineral glaze gives this guinomi an almost a metallic look. The craftsman who made this piece, Takahiro Ishii, was born in Tokyo in 1977, and, after studying ceramics for a number of years, he moved to Bizen to become a ceramics teacher and later opened his own kiln...

Looking something akin to dragon skin with gilded beads glistening between the scales, this recent creation by young artist Hiramatsu Ryoma demonstrates his creative imagination and challenges the traditional boundaries of what defines a guinomi (Saké cup)...

Looking something akin to dragon skin with gilded beads glistening between the scales, this recent creation by young artist Hiramatsu Ryoma demonstrates his creative imagination and challenges the traditional boundaries of what defines a guinomi (Saké cup)...

Fired in an anagama small-batch kiln, this other-worldly looking saké cup (guinomi) displays rich ochre hues in areas where the rough clay shows through and is covered in a lush Oribe green glaze which is difficult to achieve. The brilliant green color is the result of copper glaze applied to the clay body which is then fired at 1220 degrees C—creating an oxidation reaction...

The light-grey glazed interior of this piece makes an inviting backdrop for a smooth cup of saké. The exterior by contrast is matte with a slightly coarse texture making it easy to hold in the hand. Overall it has a decidedly modern feel to it however the techniques used to produce this attractive guinomi go back many generations...