Bizen Guinomi

This Bizen sake cup is a long-awaited debut work by Tomoyuki Oiwa, who studied pottery techniques under Ryuichi Kakurezaki. It is a new piece fired in the third firing of his own anagama kiln, which he designed and built in Kamigori, Hyogo Prefecture. Mr. Oiwa aims for intense firing, creating a dramatic landscape where layers of "goma" (ash glaze) flow and overlap one another. True to his style, which finds charm in the intense "yohen" (kiln transformation) created by maintaining high temperatures for relatively long periods, the white kiln-transformed glaze—fired to the absolute limit—mingles with the yellow goma like snow flowing into a desert. Although the kiln transformation engulfs almost the entire outer circumference of the vessel, it is a testament to his skill that the sharp cylindrical form remains intact, standing with a dignified presence. Goma has also flowed into the interior, creating an amber-like effect that enhances the appearance of the sake within. Signed wooden box to be provided at a later date
Diameter 6.2cm x 6.0cm x Height 7.3cm Tomoyuki Oiwa was born in Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture, in 1977. He completed his studies at the Bizen Pottery Center in 2004 and became an apprentice to Ryuichi Kakurezaki in 2005. He became an independent artist in 2014.