Tanba Red Sake Cup by Nishihata Masashi

Width: 8cm Depth: 7.2cm Height: 4cm

Tanba Red Sake Cup by Nishibata Tadashi - A quiet flame cup that holds the scarlet of a roaring ember in your palm.

The scarlet color captures the moment when the iron breathes.

The deep red color that envelops this piece was achieved through a two-stage firing process in which iron-rich rough clay from Tanba is first darkened through strong reduction, and then the atmosphere changes to an oxidizing one towards the end of the firing. The vivid scarlet color captured in a moment is fixed on a matte texture with a subdued luster, giving it a rustic yet refined feel at the same time.

The swaying rim and low waist - a design that invites drinking

The body has a stable silhouette with a slight bulge, and the rim is gently swayed with fingers after being shaped on a potter's wheel. Since the mouth is slightly different in different places, the way the sake flows and the feel on the mouth changes subtly depending on the angle at which your lips place it, enhancing the enjoyment of drinking. The low-slung shape fits comfortably in the palm of your hand, and your fingers naturally rest on it, so it can be held stably with one hand.

The texture and scenery created by the coarse soil

Feldspar grains and tiny iron particles remain on the surface, giving it a rough texture. Tiny iron specks scatter like stardust, casting shadows on the scarlet color depending on how the light hits it, giving the sake a sense of depth despite being a single color. Near the bottom, a remnant of reduction firing, the color is dark brown, and the gradation from red to black gives the sake a sense of quiet tension.

Functional beauty that enhances drinking comfort

Although the opening is small, it has a large enough opening to allow the aroma of the sake to rise without escaping. The thin rim feels comfortable on the tip of the tongue, and the scarlet inner wall reflects a soft light that beautifully brings out the color of the sake. Despite its thinness, it is precisely fired at high temperatures, so it has the ability to keep chilled sake cold and warm sake warm.

A crystallization of tradition and wabi-sabi

The color red in Tamba ware has long been loved as a color that combines fire and earth, as seen in the ancient "Hidasuki" and "Scarlet Bottles." Nishihata Tadashi has kept this tradition in mind, but by eliminating decoration and bringing to the fore the earthiness itself, he has elevated the spirit of wabi-sabi to a modern level. Although it is all red, the multi-layered expression woven by earth, fire, and ash gives it a quiet yet powerful presence.

It's a second view nurtured by time.

The matte scarlet color will absorb the oils from your hands and take on a moist luster the longer you use it. A thin layer of tartar and sake tannins remains on the inside wall, creating a gradation from scarlet to a deep brown. Because it has no crazing, the change is gradual, but you can enjoy the process of the cup breathing over time and maturing into a one-of-a-kind landscape.

The "Tamba Red Sake Cup" embodies the crimson veil of the embers and the breath of the Tamba soil. When you hold it in your palm, a quiet flame lights up, warming your heart along with the sake. Please use it for your daily evening drink or when sharing a drink with guests, and enjoy the changing of the red color as it deepens over the years.

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