Totai Guinomi Black Pattern

This is a new *tōtai shuki* (ceramic-bodied lacquerware) sake cup in "Black Pattern" by Koji Nakahara, who studied under Fumio Kawabata and aims to create works that suit contemporary life. It is a piece of *tōtai* lacquerware, which uses a ceramic base coated with lacquer, and the primitive brown surface is finished in a very stylish manner. Bold gold leaf has been applied across the piece using an adaptation of the *byakudan-nuri* technique, and the primitive swirling patterns evoke a powerful, divine atmosphere reminiscent of ancient ritual vessels. The hand-molded look, achieved through the use of plaster molds to give the piece the feel of earthenware, shows an obsessive level of detail that perfectly completes the sake cup without compromising its sacred, relic-like worldview. When viewed purely as a vessel for sake, the remarkably soft texture of the lacquer combined with the excellent hand-feel from the molded form results in a piece that is highly intuitive and easy to use. Signed wooden box (shiho-san style)
Diameter 6.8cm x 6.6cm x Height 4.9cm Koji Nakahara was born in Osaka Prefecture in 1978. He graduated from the advanced course at Nara College of Arts in 2000 and the Bizen Ceramic Center in 2001. That same year, he began his apprenticeship under Fumio Kawabata and joined Kaneshige Ritoen in 2007. Since then, he has actively exhibited his work at the Japan Traditional Kogei Exhibition and various other juried competitions. He is currently an associate member of the Japan Kōgei Association.