Bizen Sake Cup

This is a Bizen sake cup by Takao Kibata, who made his long-awaited debut after nine years of diligent training as a pupil of Jun Isezaki. By maximizing the potential of the clay, the artist has created a piece with a weathered, burnt appearance on the exterior, while the interior features a beautiful pink hue. The surface, fired to the absolute limit, has taken on a "yuzu-hada" (citron skin) texture, further transforming its unique landscape into something even more singular. It evokes a fragility that seems as though it might wither away in the palm of your hand, as well as a sense of Thanatos—weathering while sleeping within the earth—representing a new approach to the vitality of clay unseen in traditional Bizen ware until now.

About the "Takao Kibata New Works Exhibition" Signed wooden box (double-frame lid)
Diameter 6.6cm x 6.6cm x Height 5.7cm Takao Kibata was born in Imbe, Bizen City in 1974. In 2002, he began his apprenticeship under Bizen pottery master Jun Isezaki. In 2012, he built his own kiln and became independent in Shimizu, Wake Town. That same year, he received the Encouragement Award at the Tanabe Museum of Art's "Grand Prize for Tea Ceremony Ceramics" exhibition.