Bizen Sake Cup

This is a slightly older Bizen *neriage* (marbled) sake cup by Mr. Toyoyuki Matsui, who also trained younger artists as an instructor at the Ceramic Art Center. The work features a profound wine-red clay texture accented by a generous amount of *goma* (natural ash glaze). The rim is finished with a black clay slip, giving it an aesthetic reminiscent of *kawakujira* (whale-skin rim) style. The clean, spirited foot reveals the unpretentious elegance of a master. (Although it is a slightly older work, it shows almost no signs of use.) Signed wooden box (two-way cross-bar lid)
Diameter 6.2cm × Diameter 6.0cm × Height 7.6cm Mr. Toyoyuki Matsui entered the National Kyoto Ceramic Research Institute in 1949 to study all aspects of ceramics. After working for five years at the Kumamoto Prefectural Industrial Research Institute, he returned to Kyoto to study under Yoshimitsu Morino, a Kiyomizu-yaki artist and Nitten exhibition judge. In 1960, while still in training, he was invited by the then-Governor of Okayama Prefecture, Yukiharu Miki, to join the Okayama Prefectural Industrial Research Institute's Ceramic Guidance Center. He dedicated himself to nurturing young artists before resigning as director to become an independent artist in 1978. His firing techniques are based on natural glazes and shiso (perilla) red tones. He also creates vibrant Bizen ware using unique techniques born from his experience as a Kyoto-style potter, such as *neriage* (marbling two types of clay), as well as gold, silver, and blue decorative accents.
1969: Full member of the Japan Kōgei Association. 1996: Designated as an Important Intangible Cultural Property Holder of Okayama Prefecture. 1997: Exhibited at the Bizen Ware Paris Exhibition. Awards: Recipient of numerous honors including the Kaneshige Toyo Award, the Okayama Prefecture Cultural Award, the Okayama Prefecture Cultural Encouragement Award, and the Sanyo Shimbun Award / Judge for the Prefectural Exhibition.