Bizen Youhen Guinomi

This is a brand new Bizen sake cup, freshly fired by the popular young artist Yoshiteru Kouriki, a former apprentice to the late master Sozan Kaneshige. This latest piece, from the early summer 2018 kiln opening, features a heavily fired *haikaburi* (ash-covered) *yohen* (kiln change) finish. True to Kouriki-sensei’s style of bringing out the character of the clay through aggressive firing, the piece displays a striking interplay between black droplets, rugged, raised ash deposits, and a rich, lustrous clay texture with metallic gold hues. The base is particularly compelling; by firing the *ta-tsuchi* (rice field clay) to its limit, it has taken on a metallic color that, combined with Kouriki-sensei’s bold trimming, creates an intense visual impact. The firing reflects an iron will—a complete dedication to the kiln that disregards everything else, including the end user and the clay itself. Once you hold this cup, the intensity of the ash-covered surface against your palm and lips conveys an almost austere obsession with the firing process. Signed wooden box (shiho-san)
Diameter 6.8cm × Diameter 6.5cm × Height 6.0cm Yoshiteru Kouriki was born in Ako City, Hyogo Prefecture. Influenced by his father, who loved ceramics, he aspired to pursue the craft. After graduating from high school, he studied under the masters Sozan and Yuho Kaneshige starting in 1989. After seven years of training, he built his own climbing kiln in Shizutani, Bizen City, in 1996, and successfully held his first firing the following year. He held his first solo exhibition in Tokyo in 2000 and has held annual solo exhibitions ever since. In 1999, he was selected for the "Exhibition of Confectionary Vessels I Want to Use," and in 2002, he was selected for the "Exhibition of Tea Ceremony Forms" for the first time.