Yunomi

This is an earlier work by Togaku Mori, a teacup created before he achieved his historic feat in ceramic history: the firing of an 85-meter-long great kiln. It is believed to be from the period of the Aioi great kiln, produced as a first step toward his distant dream of recreating ancient Bizen-ware firing techniques using a great kiln. It was crafted using the *himozukuri* (coil-building) technique, in which coils of clay are stacked and then stretched on a potter's wheel, resulting in a unique texture distinct from wheel-thrown pieces, as well as an incredibly thin, lightweight, and easy-to-use form. The interior bears the marks of meticulous spatula work, reflecting Mori’s uncompromising approach to his craft; the cup feels less like a formed vessel and more like a blade that has been forged. It was fired in a separate container or *hako* (box) in a steam-like environment, resulting in vibrant *hidasuki* (fire-cord) patterns that stand out beautifully against the white clay of Samukaze. (Although an earlier work, this is an unused item; there is a mark on the foot where a *hidasuki* fusion was removed.) Signed wooden box (double-slatted)
Diameter 8.2cm x Diameter 7.9cm x Height 7.9cm Togaku Mori was born the eldest son of Hideji Mori, whose lineage connects to the six noble Bizen kiln families, and graduated from the special art course at Okayama University in 1959. He returned to his family home in 1962 to pursue the path of ceramics. The following year, his work was selected for the Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition, and in 1966 he became a full member of the Japan Kōgei Association. Fascinated by ancient Bizen ware, he began researching great kilns around 1972. In 1977, he built a 46-meter-long great kiln in Aioi City, Hyogo Prefecture, and performed the first firing in 1980. Using the data from that project, he built the 53-meter-long Samukaze great kiln in Ushimado, Okayama Prefecture, in 1983, successfully completing its first firing in 1986. Since then, he has conducted kiln firings every four to five years. In 1996, he was certified as an Okayama Prefecture-designated Holder of Important Intangible Cultural Property. In 1997, he exhibited at the Bizen Ware Paris Exhibition. In 2002, he became the first Bizen ware artist to receive the Japan Ceramic Society Award. In 2008, his new Samukaze great kiln (85m long, 6m wide, 3m high) was completed, with its first firing taking place in 2015.
Awards: Japan Ceramic Society Award, Japan Ceramic Society Gold Award, Sanyo Shimbun Award, Okayama Nichinichi Shimbun Art and Culture Merit Award, and many others / Prefectural exhibition judge