White glaze Katakuchi Yu Okada

Width: 12.0cm Height: 8.5cm

White-glazed katakuchi (white-glazed sake cup) by Okada Masaru - "The pure vessel reflects the pale moon, adding a quiet glow to a drop of hot water and sake."

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The appeal of the work

The soft white glaze is reminiscent of thin clouds. On its tranquil surface, half-moon lines appear as if they were scooped up with a brush. The modest beak on one side of the rim evokes the image of a thin droplet falling, giving a delicate aftertaste to the act of pouring.

Only the base is finished with a black glaze, creating a contrast between the two colors, with the silence of white and the darkness of night. When you hold it in your palm, the smoothness of the white glaze interacts with the slight roughness of the base, completing the scenery in your hand.

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The author's perspective

Okada Masaru's philosophy is "Let the wind blow slowly inside and outside the vessel" - he entrusted this philosophy to the breathing of the white glaze and the half-moon lines. A crescent moon peeking through the clouds at midnight in Sumiyama, Uji. This fleeting scene is quietly captured in a single line and a black hill.

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Conclusion

This white-glazed katakuchi teapot captures black and white, light and shadow, and the fleeting moment of the waxing and waning moon. Pour in hot water, pour in sake, and enjoy the moment as the shadow of the half moon moves from one vessel to another. The longer you use it, the softer the luster the white glaze will take on, and the deeper the shadows of the engraved lines will begin to tell the story of a moonlit night.