Bizen Kuro Yunomi Hidariuma

Born in Imbe and a lifelong lover of Bizen, Takashi Baba finds joy in both making and firing. This is his newest black Bizen Yunomi, fired in June 2025 in a newly designed noborigama, with an auspicious Hidari-uma incised on the front
(the mirror-image “uma” mark traditionally used at a kiln’s inaugural firing).

A black-slip Bizen that pairs a bold, modern design with a stylish surface. Thorough firing has given the black slip a subdued, gun-metallic sheen—an attractively metallic skin that draws the eye.

Along the lip are traces of Kigoma borne on the flame; across the front it partially melts the black slip, forming dark nagare Goma. Although the rim is slip-coated, it has been finished thin, making the piece versatile—equally enjoyable as a Yunomi, a beer mug, or even a rocks glass.

He was born in Bizen City, Okayama Prefecture in 1983.
He graduated from Tokyo University of the Arts in 2006.
Since 2007 he has been working as a ceramic artist in Bizen City.