Bizen Hand-Pinch Sake Cup

This is a new Bizen hand-coiled sake cup by Yoshiteru Koriki, a popular young artist and former apprentice to the master Sozan Kaneshige. Meticulously shaped by building up the clay by hand, this sake cup has an atmosphere that seems to cradle the sake within it. Perhaps to complement this gentle quality, the kiln alteration has been carefully controlled to avoid over-firing; it achieves a blackish ash glaze while maintaining a slightly softer, warmer finish to the clay. The interior features a small circular "marunuke" (unfired spot), evoking the imagery of a moon reflected in the vessel, offering an exceptional experience with every use. Signed wooden box (shiho-san style)
Diameter 6.6cm × Diameter 6.5cm × Height 4.8cm Yoshiteru Koriki was born in Ako City, Hyogo Prefecture. Influenced by his pottery-loving father, he aspired to a career in ceramics. After graduating from high school, he studied under the father-and-son masters Sozan and Yuho Kaneshige starting in 1989. Following seven years of training, he built his own climbing kiln in Shizutani, Bizen City, in 1996 and struck out on his own, successfully firing his first kiln the following year. He held his first solo exhibition in Tokyo in 2000 and has held annual solo exhibitions ever since. In 1999, his work was selected for the "Kita no Kashiki" (Northern Confectionery Container) exhibition, and in 2002, he was selected for the "Chanoyu no Zokei" (Forms of Tea Ceremony) exhibition for the first time.