Bizen Sake Cup

This is a brand-new Bizen sake cup, fresh from the kiln, by the popular young artist Yoshiteru Kouriki, a formal apprentice to the late master Sozan Kaneshige. Fired at the end of September 2017, this latest work showcases the consistent quality typical of Kouriki-sensei while offering a wonderfully varied and excellent design. Among Kouriki's works, known for their rich variety of landscape and clay texture, this piece is a popular style that combines a persimmon-orange clay body with understated, matte "kase-goma" (dry sesame glaze). The soft, low-fired clay absorbs sake immediately upon use, delighting the owner as it changes to a hue reminiscent of fresh, ripe fruit. The mellow, well-balanced form, crafted with a relaxed potter's wheel technique, pairs perfectly with the soft scarlet hue to provide a superb tactile experience. Signed wooden box (shiho-san style)
Diameter 7.0cm x 6.8cm x Height 5.4cm Yoshiteru Kouriki was born in Ako City, Hyogo Prefecture. Influenced by his father, who loved pottery, he set his heart on the path of ceramics. After graduating from high school in 1989, he apprenticed under 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, with his first successful firing 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 "North Country Confectionery Container Exhibition," and in 2002, he was selected for the "Tea Ceremony Forms Exhibition" for the first time.