Bizen Retsumon Tokkuri

This new Bizen "crack-pattern" sake cup (guinomi) is the work of Takashi Baba, who was born in Imbe and has loved Bizen pottery since childhood, finding his life’s joy in crafting works and firing kilns. While throwing the piece on the potter's wheel, the surface is scorched with a burner to create artificial cracks. Known as "crack-pattern" (retsumon), this technique brings out the characteristics of the clay in ways that cannot be achieved by hand-tooling, such as spatula or comb marks. The firing process, by contrast, is very simple, featuring a base of matte sesame ash glaze (kase-goma) overlaid with yellow and charred sesame ash (ki-goma and koge-goma). Signed wooden box (double-braced)
Rim 3.7cm x Body diameter 8.6cm x Body diameter 8.5cm x Height 12.8cm; Capacity approx. 290cc Takashi Baba was born in 1983 as the eldest son of Bizen potter Shosuke Baba. Intending to become a ceramic artist from a young age, he chose to study sculpture in university to broaden his artistic horizons. He graduated from the Tokyo University of the Arts with a degree in sculpture in 2006 and further 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 major department stores.