Shirotanka Shuten

This white-carbonized sake cup is by Toru Ichikawa, who made a striking debut after studying under Ryuichi Kakurezaki. While one is immediately drawn to the originality of its avant-garde design, holding the piece in your hands reveals the immense passion he pours into expressing the beauty of the material: clay. To achieve these beautiful curves and edges, one must understand the nature of the clay and commit a frightening amount of time and effort to the finishing process—a work born from forging the earth with the singular focus of a swordsmith. This process creates raw, fierce cracks and splinters on the surface of the vessel that human hands alone could not replicate, resulting in a magnificent harmony with the color and volume of the glazes, each specially formulated for the specific clay. The white glaze, which gains a prism-like beauty through its multi-layered structure, is further enhanced by an additional process using persimmon tannin to accentuate the crackle lines, allowing the work to be enjoyed for both its lines and its layers. Signed box (shiho-san) included
Diameter 5.6cm × Diameter 5.4cm × Height 5.3cm Toru Ichikawa was born in Tokyo. He began studying under Ryuichi Kakurezaki in June 2011 and became independent in Tamano City, Okayama Prefecture, in January 2015.