RAKU sake cup by by Yanashita Hideki

Width 7.2cm Height 5.6cm

- Now you can have Chojiro's "black" in the palm of your hand -

Yanagishita Tokiki's "Ima-yaki Black Sake Cup" is a work inspired by Chojiro's black tea bowls and reconstructed for the modern era as a small sake cup. By incorporating the spirituality and aesthetic beauty embodied in the tea bowl into a format closer to everyday life than sake cups, a quiet masterpiece was born that lies somewhere between practicality and art.

The greatest appeal of this sake cup is the unique black color that appears on its surface.
It is not simply jet black, but a warm black with a slight reddish tinge, with a depth reminiscent of the surface of charcoal, and it shows different expressions depending on the angle and lighting. It is not black as a color, but "black as a landscape" - it has the power to quietly awaken the imagination of the user.

The expression that remembers the firing process

This piece is fired for a short time at a relatively low temperature, following traditional techniques. This firing process causes the glaze to shrink slightly and leave slight irregularities, creating a "natural fluctuation" on the surface of the piece that deviates from the intended homogeneity. The black glaze also varies in shade, allowing the brownish base to peek through in places, giving the piece a unique, serene, and reverent atmosphere. The overlapping of these subtle expressions gives the piece depth and a pleasant sense of tension that is felt both visually and tactilely.

Experience the serenity and beauty in your hands

The rim is slightly thin, making it particularly smooth to drink from.
The moment you touch the rim, the smoothness of the glaze and the warmth of the clay add a deeper depth to the flavor of the sake. The shape fits naturally to your fingertips. This structure is not only beautiful to look at, but also considers the feel in the hand and ease of use. Though the vessel is small, it has a large presence, and every action, from the moment you pour the sake to the moment you finish drinking, is imbued with a quiet beauty.

Reinterpretation of "Ima-yaki"

This pottery was created for the tea ceremony during the Momoyama period, and its essence lies in the spirit of "one bowl, one encounter." Yanagishita Tokiki created this sake cup not simply imitating that tradition, but with a view to confronting and utilizing it in the modern era. The term "Ima-yaki" embodies the connection from the past to the present and the challenge of new expressions that suit the times. This piece retains the soft, enveloping texture, but is finished in a sharper, more defined form to suit its use as a sake cup.

The gaze of Toki Yanagishita and his philosophy on pottery

Yanagishita Tokiki, who built a kiln in Iga and has been working on a variety of traditional ceramic expressions, including Yakishime and Oribe. A consistent theme in their work is the coexistence of "beauty for use" and "beauty for viewing." The Ima-yaki Black Sake Cup is no mere sake cup. It fits naturally in the palm of the user's hand, and while used naturally for daily drinking, it evokes a sense of something deep within the vessel at unexpected moments. It was designed as a vessel that lies "between the ordinary and the extraordinary." Inspired by the spirit of the tea ceremony, this piece quietly combines materials, firing, and form, making the act of drinking itself just that little bit more special. Each time you pick it up, a different view emerges, and the more you use it, the more it develops into a vessel unique to you. Its firm feel and serene presence make it a small work of art for those who cherish quiet moments.

Hideki Yanashita Profile
Ceramic artist 1967 –
Born in Tokyo, Yanagishita currently lives and works in Iga City, Mie Prefecture. Fascinated by pottery from the Momoyama period, he embarked on a career in ceramics. After training in Shigaraki , he built his own anagama kiln in Iga, Mie Prefecture, and opened the "Kanda Kiln." Under the tutelage of Sadamitsu Sugimoto, he delves deeply into the world of wabi-sabi from his own unique perspective, producing a diverse range of works, including Raku ware, Yakishime, Ido, and Oribe ware. An important theme in Yanagishita's creative endeavors is the pursuit of new heights , born from the incorporation of modern materials and unique approaches, while deeply studying the techniques and spirit of his predecessors. His works question essential beauty that transcends time and invite viewers into a deeper world of art.

Base of operations : Iga, Mie Prefecture