Gold-accented tea bowl "Salamander" Black

This is the latest "Salamander Black" gold-leaf tea bowl, just out of the kiln by Toru Ichikawa, who made a striking debut after studying under Ryuichi Kakizaki. It is an exceptionally creative work that exemplifies Ichikawa's style of giving form to his ceaselessly overflowing ideas through the supreme medium of clay. True to the "Black" in the title, the seething gold-leaf expression of his "Salamander" series has been replaced by a seething black glaze, which, when combined with a rich, dark crimson glaze, dramatically transforms the atmosphere. The distinctive black glaze—fitting for the name "Salamander"—looks almost like lizard scales, possessing a sensuous charm more akin to leather than to pottery. The avant-garde hexagonal form further accentuates the unique texture of the lizard-leather-like black glaze, while the addition of gold-leaf edging to the dark crimson glaze, which stands in contrast to the black, beautifully harmonizes the black and red tones of the piece as a whole. Its allure lies in its mysterious presence, which simultaneously evokes the hard-edged feel of ironware and the sensuousness of leather or living creatures. Signed wooden box to be provided later (please allow some time for shipping)
Diameter 12.0cm x Diameter 11.5cm x Height 10.7cm Toru Ichikawa was born in Tokyo. He began studying under Ryuichi Kakizaki in June 2011 and became independent in Tamano City, Okayama Prefecture, in January 2015.