Brushed sake cup by Takahashi Dohachi

Width: 7.6cm x 7.0cm Height: 3.91cm

Brushed sake cup - Takahashi Michihachi IX

1. Beauty of form - Elegant cap shape and stability

This piece has a slightly outward-turned rim and a cap-shaped design that tapers gently from the body to the base. It is characterized by a soft mouthfeel and comfortable feel on the lips when held in the hand. Although small, it has a sturdy base, which gives it a stable feel on the table and makes it easy to grip with your fingers.

2. Glaze Tone - White brush marks on gray glaze

The entire body is covered in a moist, semi-gloss gray ash glaze. The calm gray tones characteristic of gray glaze take on a slight bluish tinge depending on the angle of the light, adding a feeling of coolness when cold sake is poured into it. The white brush marks on top of it were drawn in one go with a thick brush over semi-dried white mud. The dynamic brushstrokes speak of improvisation, and combined with the quiet gray glaze, they create a scene full of movement.

3. Foot – Contrast of the yakishime base

The area around the foot is left unglazed and fired to reveal the original reddish brown color of the clay. This unglazed area accentuates the contrast with the gray glaze, giving the vessel a moderate sense of tension while conveying the warmth of the clay when touched with the palm of your hand. The tatami mat is smoothly trimmed, and care has been taken to prevent damage to lacquerware and wooden trays on the Japanese dining table.

4. Techniques - Ash glaze and improvised brush strokes

First, the potter's wheel is used to shape the pottery thinly, then white clay is brushed on before bisque firing, and after drying, the pottery is dipped in a transparent ash glaze in a two-step process. During firing, the thickness of the glaze in the brushed areas becomes thinner, so the unevenness of the white clay rises up slightly, leaving a pleasant texture on the fingertips. The brushed areas that are submerged under the glaze and the unglazed foot - these two contrasting expressions are beautifully harmonised in one cup, showcasing the skill of Takahashi Michihachi, the potter's hand.

5. Historical and cultural background - Brush marks and the spirit of folk art

The brush stroke technique originated in the Buncheong porcelain of the late Joseon Dynasty in Korea, and was widely used as daily tableware in private kilns across Japan from the mid-Edo period onwards. Its simple improvisational nature was highly praised as "beauty of utility" in the Mingei movement advocated by Yanagi Muneyoshi and others. Takahashi Dohachi, a renowned Kyoto ware color painting artist, has incorporated this technique into modern sake cups, resulting in a masterpiece that allows us to reaffirm the original beauty created by the interweaving of earth and glaze.

The Takahashi Dohachi family has been known as a prestigious Kyoto ware color painting family since the late Edo period. The ninth generation master graduated from the Department of Clothing Design at Kyoto Bunkyo Junior College, majored in design, and then went on to the Department of Molding and Research at Kyoto Prefectural Ceramic Technical College, and further solidified his technical foundation at the Kyoto Industrial Research Institute.

In 1996, he began to study pottery under his father, Dohachi Yashiro, and began making pottery in earnest.

In 2012, he took on the name of the ninth Takahashi Dohachi.

His style, which combines the sense of form cultivated in clothing design with the traditional techniques of Kyoto ware, has breathed new life into the Dohachi family of pottery and displays a sophistication that stands out in modern tea ceremonies and gallery spaces.

This sake cup combines the serenity of the gray glaze with the dynamism of the white brush strokes, and is tolerant of both cold and hot sake. The soft roundness of the rim and the high, baked base feel comfortable on the fingertips, and the way the brush strokes reflect the fluctuations inside the cup with each sip of sake is exceptional. It will gently inject the "breath of handcrafted work" into conversations over drinks, as well as into your daily evening drinks. Please enjoy this sake for many years to come, and enjoy the scenery of the gray glaze that deepens with age, and the outstanding beauty of Takahashi Michihachi's sculpture.