Inbe Guinomi

This is a freshly fired new Ibe sake cup by Anjin Abe, an artist who possesses deep insight into and an aesthetic sense for antique pottery, creating one-of-a-kind works through his unique research and firing techniques. Rather than using the cobalt-based slip employed by the majority of contemporary Bizen artists, this piece uses a clay high in iron content, resulting in an Ibe-te finish reminiscent of antique Bizen. Its most distinctive feature is the Ibe-te surface; it possesses a highly complex hue that is more of a dark brown than pure black, forming a dense texture where blacks and dark browns are intricately intertwined. It stands comparison with the Ibe-te surfaces seen on water jars from the early Edo period, and its deep, delicate, beetle-like iridescent color is something one never tires of gazing at. Furthermore, the yellow sesame glaze on this piece first adheres as a trace amount like smoke across the entire surface, followed by a heavier application on the front and other areas, creating an intriguing matière where the mist-like sesame glaze suddenly intensifies or disperses. Original signed wooden box (shiho-san, double box)
Diameter 6.7cm x Diameter 6.3cm x Height 6.7cm Anjin Abe was originally a Western-style painter. While he collected ceramics as a hobby, he felt that contemporary Bizen ware lacked something, and in 1972 he began pottery to create works that would satisfy himself. He frequently makes water jars, flower vases, flattened flasks, bowls, sake bottles, and sake cups. All are wheel-thrown and finished with a spatula. He centers his ceramic production on Momoyama period antique Bizen and is highly particular about his firing process. He is also involved in a diverse range of expressive activities, presenting works (mixed media) that combine various materials and techniques such as ceramics, lacquer, oil painting, and bronze. He energetically holds solo exhibitions both in Japan and overseas, including in Tokyo, Osaka, New York, and Paris.