Hikidashi Guinomi

This is a new *hikidashi* (drawn-out) sake cup by Masao Akiya, a potter who studied under Living National Treasure Jun Isezaki and creates works brimming with a unique originality amidst a fresh spirit. For this piece, he has applied a white glaze in addition to his signature *hikidashi-guro* (drawn-out black) technique, with the novel white glaze providing a magnificent accent against the delicate landscape of the black finish. Around the waist, the kiln’s transformation has produced the vibrant cobalt blue that is the hallmark of the *hikidashi-guro* technique, creating a fantastical gradient from green to cobalt blue that is truly captivating. Inside the cup, ash that accumulated during firing has crystallized, and through the *hikidashi* process, this ash has become transparent like amber, creating a beautiful effect. The form, designed with spatula cuts and impressed patterns, is not only visually interesting but also creates variations in the surface depth, producing shading in the black slip. Signed wooden box (shiho-san) included
Diameter 6.4cm × 6.1cm × Height 6.0cm Masao Akiya was born in Saitama in 1968. After apprenticing under Living National Treasure Jun Isezaki starting in 1998, he completed ten years of training before building his own kiln in Bizen and becoming independent in 2008. He held his first kiln opening in 2009. His work has been selected for the Tanabe Museum of Art’s Tea Ceremony Exhibition and the Japan Kōgei Association Chūgoku Branch Exhibition, and he has received awards such as the Prefectural Exhibition Prize and the Encouragement Prize at the Okayama Prefectural Art Exhibition.