New Oribe Sake Cup

This is a new Oribe sake cup by Toru Ichikawa, who made a striking debut after studying under Ryuichi Kakurezaki. It is an exceptionally creative work that exemplifies Ichikawa's style of giving shape to his endlessly overflowing ideas through the supreme medium of clay. True to the name "new Oribe," the piece carries an atmosphere reminiscent of Narumi Oribe, combining vermilion clay slips with Oribe green glaze. It is sharply faceted into a hexagonal shape, and the "crepe wrinkles" formed when the clay was carved away in one stroke show through the highly transparent green glaze, while the opaque vermilion clay sections are overlaid with white glaze to create a contrast in texture. In the interior, the glaze pools into a thick layer with a hue like jade, possessing a beauty that draws you into its emerald depths. It is a dynamic, large-scale form that approaches the size of a small teacup. (There are a few fissures in the clay extending downward from the rim, but there were no issues after holding water for over an hour.) Signed wooden box (shiho-san style)
Diameter 7.5cm × Diameter 6.8cm × Height 6.7cm 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.