Ibe Shuten

This is a new Ibe sake cup by Mashiro Aika, an artist who creates works that are uncompromising and full of character. After a long silence, Mashiro Aika has surprised us once again with a work of even greater scale. For this Ibe-style piece, he was even more meticulous than before with the colors of the clay, resulting in a rich purple that evokes red wine simmered down to a deep, dark finish. The coloration near the foot is particularly magnificent; the dense, dark purple of the clay blends with the iron-black tones of the sangiri (firewood ash) firing, creating a molten appearance that looks as if the colors are about to drip away. The brilliance of the yellow sesame glaze (kigoma) is also superb, reflecting Aika-sensei's uncompromising attitude and bringing his work to even greater heights.

View Mashiro Aika's blog post Signed wooden box to follow at a later date (please allow some time for shipping)
Diameter 8.3cm × Diameter 7.3cm × Height 4.8cm Mashiro Aika graduated from the Okayama Prefectural Bizen Pottery Center in 1997. In 2003, he built a fully underground anagama kiln in Sabukaze. He built a second, semi-underground anagama kiln the following year in 2004, and continues to devote himself to his craft.