Ibe Shuten

This is a Bizen sake cup by Kosuke Yashiro, who spent his formative years dreaming of working with Bizen ware in Imbe, and finally realized his long-held goal of building his own kiln there to debut his work. It is a straightforward, authentic piece of Bizen ware, true to the style of Yashiro-sensei, who fell in love with the works of the many potters born, raised, and laid to rest in Imbe, and dedicated his life to Bizen pottery. This piece has been fired with extreme intensity; on top of a yellow-greenish "goma" (sesame) glaze that evokes the work of Toshu Yamamoto, a well-melted "haikaburi" (ash-covered) glaze has formed a "namako" (sea cucumber) skin texture. It can be said that the firing is almost entirely covered in ash, with only the foot left exposed, revealing the natural clay. The foot itself has a golden hue over the clay, creating a lustrous orange color that forms a striking contrast with the intense kiln changes. (Due to the shape of the foot, there is slight wobbling.) Signed wooden box (double-crosspiece)
Diameter 6.9cm x Diameter 6.7cm x Height 4.6cm Kosuke Yashiro was born in Sapporo, Hokkaido, in 1979. Around 2000, he began his training under various kilns and artists in Imbe, Bizen City. In September 2016, he built his own kiln in Imbe and became an independent artist.