Straw white glazed sake cup by Masashi Nishibata

Width: 7.2cm Depth: 6.4cm Height: 9cm

Straw white glazed sake cup by Tadashi Nishibata

The silence of the white glaze and the lingering scent of red clay, a sculptural sake cup that sits in the palm of your hand

This piece, which allows you to fully appreciate the thickness of the straw white glaze, is made by pouring a generous amount of milky white straw white glaze over a tetrahedral base made from red clay from Tanba and firing it. The black iron spots floating in the white glaze and the fine unevenness created when the glaze contracted create a tranquil landscape that looks like air bubbles trapped on the surface of snow.

A monochrome rhythm woven with black, white and red soil

• Thick straw white glaze : It is so thick that it feels slightly uneven when you touch it with your finger, and it envelops the surface of the vessel in a soft luster reminiscent of milk.

• Iron speckles : The black spots created by the iron reacting during firing create a rhythm, adding depth to the all-white world.

• Red dew on the base : The red clay peeking out from the rim and corners of the base tightens the contrast between black and white, adding warmth to the entire cup.

A sculptural form that fits in the palm of your hand

Based on a tetrahedron, the design leaves slight unevenness and fluctuation between the faces, following Nishihata's style of "molding as if wrapping it with his hands, then finishing by carving." The rim is slightly rolled inward, creating a comfortable, gentle touch on the lips. There is a slight indentation on the bottom, making it easy to pick up and stable.

The scene is completed after pouring the sake.

When cold sake is poured into the vessel, the luster of the straw white glaze reflects from within, highlighting the iron speckles with exceptional clarity. When warm sake is poured into the vessel, the glaze becomes slightly cloudy, creating a soft shadow effect, creating a moment when the sake and the vessel resonate with each other.

Tanba clay, straw white glaze, and flames - exploring the trinity

In recent years, Nishibata Tadashi has said that "straw white glaze is my theme for the future," and has been making numerous test pieces by changing the composition and firing method. This work is the practical result born from that research process, and can be said to be a microcosm where you can experience the wonder of the interaction between earth, glaze, and fire in the palm of your hand.

Masashi 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, Handon no Kai, Nogawa Memorial Award. 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, Tea Ceremony Forms Exhibition, Excellence Award, Hyogo Prefecture Emerging Artist Encouragement Award. Invited to exhibit at the NHK-sponsored Paris-Japanese Ceramics Now 100 Selections, 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 Art Exhibition, solo exhibition at Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi Main Store
1997 Encouragement Award at the Tea Ceremony Art Exhibition 1998 Selected for the Japanese Traditional Crafts Exhibition Solo exhibition at Mitsukoshi Nihonbashi Selected for the Japanese Traditional Crafts Exhibition 2000 Solo exhibition at Mitsukoshi Nihonbashi Solo exhibition at Mitsukoshi Fukuoka 2001 Selected for the Japanese Traditional Crafts Exhibition at Gallery Dojima 2002 Solo exhibition at Mitsukoshi Nihonbashi Solo exhibition at Gallery Dojima 2003 Solo exhibition at Santa Fe Touchingston, USA 2004 Father and son exhibition at Sogo Hiroshima store Grand Prize at the Tea Ceremony Art Exhibition 2005 Exhibited at Akashi City Museum of Culture and Hyogo Ceramics Exhibition Purchased Akadobedai, Hyogo Ceramic Art Museum Solo exhibition at Gallery Dojima Mitsukoshi Nihonbashi 2006 Grand Prize at the Tea Ceremony Art Exhibition Selected for the Japanese Traditional Crafts Exhibition at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and the Japan Society Gallery of New York Solo exhibition at Takashimaya Yokohama Touchingston, USA Father and son exhibition at Takashimaya Matsuyama 2007 Toshun-kai Exhibition, Sogo Yokohama Encouragement Award at the Tea Ceremony Art Exhibition Selected for the Japanese Traditional Crafts Exhibition 2008 Selected for the Japanese Traditional Crafts Exhibition Solo Exhibition, Yokohama Takashimaya Mitsukoshi Main Store, Santa Fe, Touchingston, USA Toshun-kai Exhibition, Funabashi Seibu Sogo Hiroshima Invited to exhibit at the Japanese Ceramics Exhibition 2009 Solo Exhibition, Gallery Dojima, Sendai Mitsukoshi 2010 Sogo Kobe Exhibited at the Musee Tomo Grand Prize Exhibition, Contemporary Tea Solo Exhibition, Yokohama Takashimaya Touchingston, USA, Santa Fe, 2011 Invited to exhibit at the Japanese Ceramics Exhibition Solo Exhibition, Joan B. Marvis, New York, USA Invited to exhibit at the Japanese Ceramics Exhibition 2013 Exhibited at the Musee Tomo "Contemporary Famous Bowls" Solo Exhibition, Mitsukoshi Main Store, Santa Fe, USA Miyazaki Gallery, Sogo Kobe Chiba Sogo 2014 Solo Exhibition Solo Exhibition, Mitsukoshi Main Store, Santa Fe, USA 2015 Received the Hyogo Prefecture Cultural Award in 2016. Exhibited at Higashihiroshima City Museum of Art for Ceramics that Color Our Lives - Food Wares. Exhibited at Joan B. Marvis' 40th Anniversary Exhibition in 2017.
Solo Exhibition at Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi Main Store in 2018

A conversation with Masashi Nishibata