Shino Sake Cup by Yanashita Hideki

Width 8.2cm x 6.4cm Height 4.7cm

The Shino Sake Cup by Yanashita Hideki is a small masterpiece that carries on the spirit of Shino ware, the pinnacle of Momoyama pottery, while adding a unique aesthetic to it. The deliberately incorporated "split base" design acts as a visual device that quietly intertwines the classic and the modern, sharpening the viewer's senses. Making the most of the warmth of Mino clay and the rich expression of Shino glaze, this sake cup exudes the spirit of Shino, a style that lives in the present.

The origins of Shino ware and its place in Mino pottery

Shino ware is a particularly important technique within Mino ware, and was the first pottery in Japan to be established as a primarily white-colored vessel. Its origins date back to the late 16th century, toward the end of the Azuchi-Momoyama period. During this period, tea ceremony culture spread throughout samurai society under Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and Mino (present-day Gifu Prefecture) produced a succession of innovative ceramics, primarily for tea ceremonies, alongside Setoguro, Kiseto, and Oribe. Shino ware, in particular, is said to have originated when the Muromachi period tea master Shino Soshin commissioned a Mino potter to create it, and it was originally called "Shino Tenmoku." The creation of Shino ware is deeply connected to the aesthetic sense of Higashiyama culture, Zen philosophy, and unique Japanese aesthetics such as "wabi-sabi." Shino ware occupies a unique position in the history of Japanese pottery as it is not a copy of Chinese ceramics such as white porcelain or celadon, but the first authentic white pottery created by Japanese hands.

Moxa clay and Shino glaze: what the texture of white tells us

The mugwort clay used for the base of Shino ware is a white clay with a low iron content unique to the Mino region, with a slightly purplish hue. This clay is highly fire-resistant and does not harden easily during firing, resulting in a simple yet elegant texture. A feldspar glaze known as "Shino glaze" is then applied to this. Feldspar is crushed and refined, and applied thickly and generously, creating a rich, plump glaze surface, with the wrinkles and fluctuations that occur during firing creating a beautiful appearance. The glaze surface naturally reveals the fine irregularities of a yuzu peel, known as "yuzuhada," and the fine crazing, known as "kan'nyu," and depending on the viewing angle and lighting, soft shadows spread throughout the vessel.
Additionally, on the rim and parts of the body where the glaze is thin, reddish firing marks known as "hi-iro" (fire color) appear, creating an emotional scene in which the memory of flames seems to be engraved into the white.

The spirit of "Ubakagaki," the pinnacle of Japanese pottery

One particularly well-known example of Shino ware is the National Treasure "Shino Tea Bowl, Inscribed Unohanagaki," housed at the Mitsui Memorial Museum of Art. This tea bowl, along with Hon'ami Koetsu's "Fujiyama," is the only Japanese-made tea bowl designated a National Treasure, and is considered the pinnacle of Shino ware. Its appeal lies in the vibrant colors of the iron-painted designs, the soft texture of the glaze, and the delicate variations in the color of the flames. It is considered one of the vessels that most succinctly expresses the "wabi-sabi" spirit of the tea ceremony. Yanagishita Toki's "Shino Sake Cup" also follows this Shino spirit, but is condensed into a different form: a sake cup.

The playful design of the split base

Another notable feature of this piece is the unique design of the legs, known as a "wari takadai." The structure, in which part of the circular takadai has been cut away, is a bold design not often seen in tea ware, and while it intentionally disrupts the visual balance of the vessel, it still firmly maintains its independence. This aesthetic of "shifting" is an expression unique to the contemporary artist Yanagishita Tokiki, and is also a quiet challenge to breathe newness into the classics. The takadai, which gives different impressions depending on the angle from which it is viewed and how it is placed, gives the vessel a dynamic appeal and a poetic aftertaste.

A white landscape that develops with use

The more you use a Shino ware sake cup, the more its appearance changes.
As the sake soaks into the crazing in the glaze and reacts to changes in temperature and humidity, the vessel gradually "grows." Subtle changes that were not visible when the vessel was new suddenly appear during daily evening drinks, bringing new discoveries and inspiration to the user with each use. This is a form of beauty that teaches us that vessels are not "finished products," but "living beings" that change over time. Yanagishita Tokiki's Shino Sake Cups are just such "vessels that mature with the accumulation of daily use," quietly embracing the lives of those who use them.

Inheriting the history of Shino, pottery that lives on in the present

Shino Sake Cups have their roots in the pottery culture of Mino, which was born at the end of the 16th century, but have been reconstructed to suit modern lifestyles and aesthetic sensibilities, making them truly "Shino that lives in the present."They are not simply a continuation of the classics, but rather a quietly innovative vessel that is infused with Yanagishita Tokiki's unique sensibility in the design and firing, while facing the traditional spirit and materials.

Old yet new. Rough yet gentle. Simple yet precise.
The essence of Shino pottery is beautifully embodied in this small sake cup.

Hideki Yanashita Profile
Ceramic artist 1967 –
Born in Tokyo, Yanagishita currently lives and works in Iga City, Mie Prefecture. Fascinated by pottery from the Momoyama period, he embarked on a career in ceramics. After training in Shigaraki , he built his own anagama kiln in Iga, Mie Prefecture, and opened the "Kanda Kiln." Under the tutelage of Sadamitsu Sugimoto, he delves deeply into the world of wabi-sabi from his own unique perspective, producing a diverse range of works, including Raku ware, Yakishime, Ido, and Oribe ware. An important theme in Yanagishita's creative endeavors is the pursuit of new heights , born from the incorporation of modern materials and unique approaches, while deeply studying the techniques and spirit of his predecessors. His works question essential beauty that transcends time and invite viewers into a deeper world of art.

Base of operations : Iga, Mie Prefecture

A conversation with Toki Yanagishita