Bizen Ryumon Guinomi

This is a new Bizen "Ryumon" (flowing pattern) sake cup by Takashi Baba, who was born in Imbe and has loved Bizen ware since childhood, finding joy in life through creating works and firing kilns. This sake cup features the flowing pattern carving that Baba is known for, with the intense, faintly greenish *kase-goma* (matte ash glaze) and the somewhat mystical flowing pattern creating an atmosphere reminiscent of a sacred vessel or ritual object. The pattern is hand-carved with Baba's exceptional sense of style, and it is surprising to see the motifs carved in such a perfectly patterned, almost inorganic way—in the best sense of the word. The interior is fired to produce a natural black, demonstrating a superb harmony between the firing and the form. (Please note that due to the firing process and the resulting landscape, the *kase-goma* is rough and may have some areas of flaking.) Signed wooden box (shiho-san style)
Diameter 8.4cm × 8.3cm × Height 5.2cm Takashi Baba was born in 1983 as the eldest son of Bizen ware artist Shosuke Baba. Thinking from a young age that he would become a ceramic artist, he chose to study sculpture in university to broaden the scope of his pottery. After graduating from the Tokyo University of the Arts with a degree in sculpture in 2006, he honed his skills at the Kyoto Municipal Institute of Industrial Technology and Culture. He became independent in 2007 and held his first solo exhibition. He is currently active primarily through solo exhibitions at department stores.