Bizen-style marbled sake cup

This is a Bizen-style marbled sake cup by Takashi Baba, an artist born in Imbe who has loved Bizen ware since childhood and finds his life's joy in creating works and firing kilns. It is a highly unique sake cup that looks like an ancient ritual vessel, or perhaps a futuristic electronic circuit. The surface patterns are carved one by one with a spatula, a testament to Mr. Baba's excellent sense of design and deep focus. The exterior is completely covered in "haikaburi" (ash glaze), with rough ash clinging to the surface. (Please note that the maker's mark is covered by the ash glaze, and there is some peeling of the ash glaze on the rim.) Signed wooden box (double-slat lid)
Diameter 7.3cm x Diameter 7.1cm x Height 5.1cm Takashi Baba was born in 1983 as the eldest son of Bizen ceramic artist Shosuke Baba. Thinking from a young age that he would become a potter, he chose to study sculpture in university to broaden his perspective on ceramics. He graduated from the Tokyo University of the Arts with a degree in sculpture in 2006, then went on to hone his skills at the Kyoto Municipal Institute of Industrial Technology and Culture. He became independent in 2007 and held his first solo exhibition. He is currently active primarily through solo exhibitions at department stores.