Blue and white porcelain firefly sake cup by Kotaro Ikura

Width: 5.5cm Height: 4.5cm

We would like to introduce the delicate and beautiful "Blue and White Porcelain Firefly Sake Cup," created by Ikura Kotaro, a potter living in Yagyu, a mountain village in Nara renowned as the home of the master swordsman. Inheriting the tradition of celadon, this piece fuses history and modern techniques, and its small size is packed with refined beauty and a wealth of techniques.

The delicate beauty of the Hotarude technique

The "Blue and White Porcelain Firefly Sake Cup" is a work that makes full use of the "Hotarude" technique, which allows light to pass through. The openwork carvings on the thin sake cup are carefully covered with a blue and white porcelain glaze, and when light passes through the carvings, they become softly transparent and glow ephemerally like fireflies. This delicate and beautiful sight will make the moment you pour sake a special one.

The transparency and color of blue-and-white porcelain

The beauty of the pale blue porcelain, a hallmark of Ikura Kotaro's work, is fully apparent in this sake cup. A translucent glaze covers the entire cup, and its smooth curves, reminiscent of flowing water, and refreshing light blue color are captivating. In particular, the delicate texture, created by the thin construction, and the translucent color unique to pale blue porcelain are in perfect harmony, and you will be captivated by its beauty every time you pick up the sake cup.

A new fusion of tradition and modern technology born in the land of Yagyu ware

Yagyu ware began when Harumomo Gozen, the grandmother of the swordsman Yagyu Jubei, fired a horse-headed Kannon statue, and the kiln was discontinued until the Meiji era, after which Mr. Ikura, the fourth generation to inherit the tradition, has taken over the kiln. He studied under Fujiwara Tsunenobu, a leading expert in white porcelain, at Osaka University of Arts, and used his refined techniques to create this "Blue and White Porcelain Water Firefly Sake Cup."

Carefully crafted to fit comfortably in your hand

Ikura Kotaro's works are characterized by their excellent comfort, fitting perfectly in the hand. This sake cup, carefully carved using a plane, has beautiful delicate curves that fit comfortably in the palm of your hand, providing a comfortable feeling every time you hold it. Despite its small and cute form, it has a definite presence that will enrich your daily evening drink. It can also be displayed without actually using it.

The pinnacle of traditional Japanese crafts

He studied under the master of white porcelain, Fujiwara Tsunenobu, at Osaka University of Arts and is a talented ceramic artist with a history of receiving numerous awards. His works are imbued with his own unique aesthetics and techniques while respecting tradition, and this "Blue and White Porcelain Firefly Sake Cup" is also a masterpiece brimming with that technique and aesthetics, a sake cup that will surely become a lifetime treasure that you will grow to love more and more over time.

The "Blue and White Porcelain Firefly Sake Cup by Ikura Kotaro" is a special sake cup that harmonizes the beauty of the Hotaru-de technique with the beauty of blue and white porcelain. Take this opportunity to pick up one of Ikura Kotaro's delicate and elegant works and enrich your daily drinking time.