Hakutanka Shuten

This is a "white carbonized" sake cup (shuto) by Toru Ichikawa, who made a striking debut after studying under Ryuichi Kakurezaki. While one is immediately drawn to its highly original, avant-garde design, holding the piece reveals the immense passion poured into expressing the inherent beauty of clay. Creating these beautiful curves and edges requires a profound understanding of the material, along with an extraordinary amount of time and meticulous effort; this work was brought into being by relentlessly forging the clay, much like a master swordsmith. This process creates raw, fierce cracks and textures on the surface that human hands could never deliberately craft, achieving a magnificent harmony with the color and volume of the glazes, each specially formulated for its specific clay type. Furthermore, extra care has been taken in the presentation of the crazing; the three-dimensional, celadon-like crackle is stained a cherry-blossom pink, shimmering within the cup like a gemstone. Signed wooden box to follow (please allow some time for shipping).
Diameter 5.7cm x Diameter 5.7cm x Height 4.8cm Toru Ichikawa was born in Tokyo. He began his apprenticeship under Ryuichi Kakurezaki in June 2011 and established his own studio in Tamano City, Okayama Prefecture, in January 2015.