Bizen Yohen Large Sake Cup

This is a Bizen yohen (kiln-transformed) large sake cup by the popular young artist Yoshiteru Koriki, an apprentice to the master Sozan Kaneshige. We commissioned Master Koriki to create this sake vessel based on the image of the very large cups favored by the warlords of old. It is a piece fired with a generous amount of mountain clay, resulting in a unique clay texture that is rich yet possesses a withered, rustic elegance unlike any other. At 14 cm wide, it is an exceptionally large cup with a bold style, yet the cold, withered quality unique to Bizen clay provides a perfect balance of strength and delicacy. The interior features a grand, circular "sun-drop" effect, making this an auspicious cup reminiscent of a sunrise or the Japanese flag. Signed wooden box (shiho-san style)
Diameter 14.0cm x Diameter 13.6cm x Height 5.0cm Yoshiteru Koriki was born in Ako City, Hyogo Prefecture. Influenced by his father's love for pottery, he pursued a career in ceramics. After graduating from high school in 1989, he apprenticed under the master Sozan Kaneshige and his son Yuho to learn the craft. Following seven years of training, he built his own climbing kiln in Shizutani, Bizen City, in 1996 and struck out on his own, successfully firing his first kiln the following year. He held his first solo exhibition in Tokyo in 2000 and has held annual solo exhibitions ever since. In 1999, he was selected for the "Exhibition of Confectionery Vessels from the North I Want to Use," and in 2002, he was selected for the "Exhibition of Tea Ceremony Forms" for the first time.