Black-lacquered carved sake cup

This is the inaugural kiln-fired black sake cup by Tomoyuki Oiwa, who has made his highly anticipated debut after honing his pottery skills under the guidance of Ryuichi Kakurezaki. These new works were produced during the first firing of his self-designed anagama kiln, which he built in Kamigori, Hyogo Prefecture, and unloaded at the end of November. The pieces were fired with the intention of achieving a powerful finish, resulting in a magnificent appearance that is hard to believe came from a first firing. This intense firing has transformed the black into a stunning, vibrant color, achieving a clear, glossy blackness similar to that of his mentor, Kakurezaki. The undulating form, created using Oiwa's signature "kuridashi" (carving) technique, adds vertical and horizontal movement to the yellow sesame glaze that has fallen over the piece as intensely as heavy rain. There is a small "hidari-ma" (left-facing horse) stamp next to the potter's mark, which is partially obscured by the sesame and black glaze. Signed wooden box to follow (please allow some time for shipping).
Diameter 6.9cm x Diameter 5.5cm x Height 7.3cm Tomoyuki Oiwa was born in Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture, in 1977. He completed his studies at the Bizen Ceramic Center in 2004 and began his apprenticeship under Ryuichi Kakurezaki in 2005. He became an independent artist in 2014.