Bizen Guinomi

This is a newly kiln-fired Bizen sake cup by Yoshinobu Morimoto, an artist with an exceptional aesthetic sense who is constantly evolving in his approach to clay, firing, and craftsmanship. This work features a Bizen-te style that Morimoto himself describes as "kaburimono" (layered glaze/ash), where sesame ash and sangiri (reduction firing effects) overlap in multiple layers, forming a profound, kiln-altered exterior. However, the true essence of this piece lies not in that layering, but in the exquisite "nuke" (clear spaces) created during the firing process; the sublime shadows that emerge within the tightly fired surface are truly masterful. Rather than the "ama-yaki" (soft-fired) nuke often seen in contemporary Bizen, he has pursued the tightly fired nuke that was truly present in antique Bizen, adding this effect to a rich, chocolate-like clay body to complete a three-dimensional and dense texture. The profound, layered "kaburimono" created through this process is a masterpiece in itself, with wonderful features like the moist-looking sangiri and yellow sesame ash that appears as if it could be plucked from the surface. He does not simply aim for aggressive firing, nor solely for soft clay characteristics; instead, all these elements are intricately intertwined to create an exceptional texture. Signed wooden box (shiho-zan)
Diameter 6.8cm × 6.4cm × Height 5.8cm Yoshinobu Morimoto was born in Okayama Prefecture in 1976. He completed the Bizen Pottery Center program in 1996. After working independently, he held his first solo exhibition in Tokyo in 2004. Since then, he has held annual solo exhibitions primarily in Tokyo and across Japan. He was selected for the Tanabe Museum of Art "Tea Ceremony Forms Exhibition" in 2005, 2006, and 2007. In 2008, he exhibited at the "Contemporary Sake Ware Exhibition" at Mitsukoshi Nihonbashi, Tokyo. In 2009, he exhibited at the "Contemporary Tea Bowl Exhibition" at Mitsukoshi Nihonbashi, Tokyo. In 2010, he held a solo exhibition titled "Yoshinobu Morimoto Feature" at Tenmaya, Okayama, among many others.