Bizen Gold-Splashed Carved Teacup

This is a new Bizen gold-painted carved teacup by Takashi Baba, an artist born in Imbe who has loved Bizen ware since childhood and finds joy in crafting pieces and firing kilns. This teacup is part of a gold-painted series that the artist challenged himself to create in this kiln, with *hidasuki* (fire-cord) markings that shine like metal adorning the surface. The piece is eye-catching for its characteristically adventurous design, featuring fine carvings made with a spatula to enhance the shimmer of the gold, as well as a tripod-style cut foot. Although intended as a teacup, its nearly spherical shape makes it versatile enough to be used as a shochu cup or a café au lait bowl. Paper box
Diameter 8.7cm × 8.6cm × Height 7.6cm Takashi Baba was born in 1983 as the eldest son of Bizen ware artist Shosuke Baba. Thinking from a young age that he would become a ceramicist, he chose to study sculpture in university to broaden his perspective on ceramics. He graduated from the Tokyo University of the Arts Department of 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.