Shirotanka Shuten

This is a white-carbonized sake cup by Toru Ichikawa, who made a stunning debut after studying under Ryuichi Kakurezaki. While the avant-garde design, brimming with originality, first catches the eye, holding it in your hands reveals the immense passion poured into expressing the beauty of the raw clay itself. To achieve such beautiful curves and sharp edges, one must understand the nature of the clay and commit an incredible amount of time and meticulous effort to the finishing process—a piece born from forging the clay with single-minded focus, much like a master swordsmith. This process creates rough, wild cracks and textures on the surface of the vessel that human hands alone could not replicate, creating a magnificent harmony with the glaze colors and volume, each blended specifically for the unique properties of the clay. Furthermore, extra care has been taken in how the crazing is presented, with cherry-blossom-colored cracks providing a stunning accent to the dynamic shape of the cup. Signed wooden box to follow (please allow some time for shipping)
Diameter 9.5cm × Diameter 7.9cm × Height 5.6cm Toru Ichikawa was born in Tokyo. He began his apprenticeship under Ryuichi Kakurezaki in June 2011 and established his own studio in Tamano, Okayama Prefecture, in January 2015.