Red Fuji Sake Cup by Nishida Masashi

Width: 8.6cm Depth: 7.4cm Height: 5.6cm

Red Fuji Sake Cup by Tadashi Nishibata

- Glaze falls on the red clay peaks, a sacred mountain in the palm of your hand

This "Red Fuji Sake Cup" is a masterpiece among the works of Nishibata Tadashi, with a particularly poetic harmony of form and color. The powerful color of the red clay and the scene created by the glaze that seems to pour over it are filled with majesty and beauty that are truly worthy of the name "Red Fuji."

The presence of the earth created by red soil

The body of the sake cup boldly exposes the iron-rich red clay unique to Tanba, resembling the surface of a mountain bathed in the setting sun. The lustrous red color developed by firing is not just a color, but a memory of heat and pressure, giving the impression of the vitality of the clay itself.

A scene of white glaze falling

The white glaze applied to the top of the red clay flows naturally, crystallizing and remaining on the surface of the vessel, creating a sense of tranquility like mist or snow covering the peaks. The graininess of the glaze and the sparkle of the surface change subtly with the amount of light, revealing a new landscape every time you look at it. The dramatic contrast between red and white creates the feeling of a landscape painting in the palm of your hand.

Poetry that fits in the palm of your hand

This sake cup has a shape that naturally fits your fingers when you hold it, and the wavy rim and rounded body perfectly combine practicality with aesthetic beauty. It is smooth to the touch, and when you pour sake into it, the glaze on the inside shines brighter, revealing a new expression within the sake cup.

The symbolism behind the name Red Fuji

The name "Red Fuji" is not just a reference to the contrast of colors, but also seems to evoke the ancient Japanese reverence for mountains and respect for the majesty of nature. In Nishibata's hands, this vessel goes beyond being a simple sake vessel and has been elevated into a symbolic work of art.

This "Red Fuji Sake Cup" is a "sacred mountain in the palm of your hand," created by combining the red clay of Tanba, the glaze, the flames, and the artist's sensibility. Its appearance changes with each use, and it will give you the joy of owning it as well as a quiet sense of emotion.

Tadashi Nishibata Biography

Born on February 24, 1948. Started making pottery in 1969. 1976. Hyogo Prefectural Exhibition Encouragement Award. 1986. Selected for the Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition for the first time. 1988. Selected for the Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition. Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition. Japan Crafts Association President's Award. 1989. Selected for the Japan Ceramic Art Exhibition. Nogawa Memorial Award, Handon no Kai. 1991. Selected for the Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition. Selected for the Japan Ceramic Art Exhibition. Grand Prize at the Tea Ceremony Forms Exhibition. 1992. Selected for the Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition. Excellence Award at the Tea Ceremony Forms Exhibition. Hyogo Prefecture Emerging Artist Encouragement Award. Invited to exhibit at the NHK-sponsored Paris - 100 Contemporary Japanese Ceramics Exhibition. Excellence Award at the Tea Ceremony Forms Exhibition. 1993. Selected for the Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition. Solo exhibition at Sogo Hiroshima store. Kyoto Chemin. 1994. Selected for the Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition. Solo exhibition at Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi Main Store. 1995. Selected for the Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition. Solo exhibition at Sogo Hiroshima store. 1996. Selected for the Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition. Awarded the Excellence Award at the Tea Ceremony Design Exhibition, solo exhibition at Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi Main Store
1997 Encouragement Award at the Tea Ceremony Design Exhibition 1998 Selected for the Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition Solo exhibition at Mitsukoshi Nihonbashi Main Store Selected for the Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition 2000 Solo exhibition at Mitsukoshi Nihonbashi Main Store Solo exhibition at Mitsukoshi Fukuoka 2001 Selected for the Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition 2002 Solo exhibition at Mitsukoshi Nihonbashi Main Store Solo exhibition at Gallery Dojima 2003 Solo exhibition at Touchingston, USA 2004 Grand Prize at the Tea Ceremony Design Exhibition at Sogo Hiroshima 2005 Exhibited at the Akashi City Museum of Culture and Hyogo Ceramics Exhibition Purchase of Akadobedai, Hyogo Ceramic Art Museum Solo exhibition at Gallery Dojima, Mitsukoshi Nihonbashi Main Store 2006 Grand Prize at the Tea Ceremony Design Exhibition Selected for the Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and the New York Japan Society Gallery Solo exhibition at Yokohama Takashimaya Touchingston, USA Father and Son Exhibition at Matsuyama Takashimaya Toshunkai Exhibition, Sogo Yokohama. Encouragement Award at the Tea Ceremony Art Exhibition. Selected for the Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition in 2008. Selected for the Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition. Solo Exhibition, Yokohama Takashimaya, Mitsukoshi Nihombashi, Santa Fe, Touchingston, USA. Toshunkai Exhibition, Funabashi, Seibu, Sogo Hiroshima. Invited to the Japanese Ceramics Exhibition in 2009. Solo Exhibition, Gallery Dojima, Sendai Mitsukoshi, 2010. Sogo Kobe. Exhibited in the Musee Tomo Grand Prize Exhibition, Contemporary Tea. Solo Exhibition, Yokohama Takashimaya, Touchingston, USA. Invited to the Japanese Ceramics Exhibition. Solo Exhibition, Joan B. Marvis, New York, USA. Invited to the Japanese Ceramics Exhibition in 2013. Exhibited in the "Contemporary Famous Bowls" exhibition at the Musee Tomo, Kanmi Kikuchi Memorial. Solo Exhibition, Mitsukoshi Nihombashi, Santa Fe, Touchingston, USA. Gallery Miyazaki, Sogo Kobe, Chiba Sogo, 2014. Solo Exhibition, Mitsukoshi Nihombashi, 2015. Received the Hyogo Prefecture Cultural Award in 2016. Exhibited at Higashihiroshima City Museum of Art for "Ceramics that Color Our Lives - Food Ware" Exhibited at Joan B. Marvis' 40th Anniversary Exhibition in 2017.
2018 Solo Exhibition at Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi Main Store

A conversation with Tadashi Nishibata