Bizen sake cup

This is a Bizen sake cup by the popular young artist Yoshiteru Koriki, a direct apprentice of the master Sozan Kaneshige. It features the characteristic persimmon-like *kase* (matte) kiln transformation that makes it instantly recognizable as a work by Koriki. The *kase-goma* (matte sesame glaze) area is surprisingly fine; running your finger over it provides a very soft sensation, as if it were dusted with powder. The form, with its three-tiered modulation of mouth, body, and waist, has a unique, perfect thickness that could only be achieved through great effort, supporting the centerpiece—the superb quality of the clay—with a subtle presence. Signed wooden box (shiho-san style)
Diameter 9.6cm × 9.2cm × Height 4.6cm Yoshiteru Koriki was born in Ako City, Hyogo Prefecture. Influenced by his pottery-loving father, he aspired to pursue the path of ceramics. After graduating from high school, he studied pottery techniques under the father-son duo of Sozan and Yuho Kaneshige starting in 1989. Following a seven-year apprenticeship, he built his own climbing kiln in Shizutani, Bizen City, in 1996 to establish his independence, and successfully fired his first kiln the following year. He held his first solo exhibition in Tokyo in 2000 and has held annual exhibitions since then. In 1999, he was selected for the "Sweets Containers of the North You'd Want to Use" exhibition, and in 2002, he was selected for the "Forms of Tea Ceremony" exhibition for the first time.