Bizen teacup

This is a new Bizen tea bowl by Mashiro Aiga, a creator of uncompromising, spirited works that are straight to the core. It embodies a harmony between the "soft" form, designed for a perfect fit in the palm and pursuing the utmost ease of use, and the "hard" firing that is unmistakably Aiga’s own. The dense scenery created by an intense firing process—undeniably among the finest of any Bizen artist—is as searing to the memory as the flames of his kiln. A mustard-colored "yellow sesame" (kigoma) glaze unfolds over a base of firm, thick sangiri (firewood-shaded) effects, with the base layer giving the sesame a unique luster, as if it were moist and saturated with water. While strong firing often tends to make the clay texture monotonous, this piece offers a fascinating richness, with subtle shifts in clay shading that resemble melting chocolate. These characteristics are further distilled in the foot, where the wrinkles of the clay, the luster, the sangiri, the variations in shading, and the design of the foot itself all converge with divine timing. Signed wooden box to follow (please allow some time for shipping)
Diameter 12.4cm × Diameter 11.7cm × Height 9.9cm Mashiro Aiga graduated from the Okayama Prefectural Bizen Ceramics Center in 1997. In 2003, he built a fully subterranean anagama kiln in Sabo, followed by a second semi-subterranean anagama kiln in 2004, where he continues to devote himself to his craft.