Handcrafted Bizen-yaki Sake Cup

This is a hand-coiled Bizen sake cup by Hitoshi Irie, an artist who crafts ho-hin (side-handled teapots) with intricate detail and magnificent curves using the hand-coiling technique instead of a potter's wheel. Meticulously created through hand-coiling alone, the style embodies a coexistence of minute movement and stillness, much like a raku tea bowl. The fine creases left by his fingers overlap in layers, forming a highly detailed and dynamic surface that inevitably captivates the viewer with the charm of hand-coiling. The bright caramel-brown finish suits the work perfectly, and the "goma" (ash glaze) has been intentionally kept sparse to accentuate the delicacy of the movement. (*Please note that while this is an older work, it shows little sign of use.) Signed wooden box (double-slat lid)
Diameter 6.8cm x Diameter 6.9cm x Height 5.2cm Hitoshi Irie entered the world of pottery in 1971, apprenticing under his father, a master craftsman, and established his own climbing kiln in 1977. He does not use a potter's wheel, creating his works entirely by hand with a focus on ornamental pieces. He is particularly proud of his ho-hin teapots, which feature painstakingly crafted finials shaped like pomegranates, dragons, lions, and Daikokuten. Additionally, through repeated research into firing techniques based on clay found along riverbanks, he independently perfected "Pearl Bizen," which fires in shades of white and pink.