Kneaded sake cup by Ogawa Bunsai

Width: 8.0cm x 8.0cm Height: 5.0cm

Drinking the Earth - Nerikomi Sake Cup by the 6th Ogawa Bunsai (Kyo)

This work, "Nerikomi Sake Cup" by the 6th Ogawa Bunsai (Oki), is a masterpiece that embodies rustic charm and tranquility, as if it were a direct copy of the memory of the earth. This vessel, created by layering clay of different colors, kneading it together, carving it out, and firing it, is made using the complex and time-consuming "Nerikomi" technique, and carries the story of the clay itself that gradually draws the viewer's eyes and heart.

The layered brown flow on the pale, subdued ochre base is reminiscent of a fault line in a mountain or the strata of a field. The subtle luster of the glaze softly envelops the earth without compromising its natural look, creating a piece that exudes a sense of richness, as if holding nature itself in the palm of your hand.

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What "Nerikomi" tells us - The memory of earth and the beauty of chance

Nerikomi is a decorative ceramic technique that allows the material itself to become a pattern. In this work, the patterns are created by layering and shaping several layers of clay with different properties and colors, then carving them out. Rather than painting with paint, it is like digging up layers of earth, and can be said to be an expression that inscribes the aesthetics of "time" and "geology" into the vessel.

The coarseness of the clay particles, the difference in iron content, the shrinkage and changes that occur during firing - all of these natural phenomena are contained in this sake cup by chance and necessity. The "respect for the material" that is often seen in Ogawa Bunsai's works is expressed directly through the technique of nerikomi.

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Simple shape and ease of handling

The shape is very simple, and the rim has a natural sway within the nearly perfect circle, conveying the warmth that can only be achieved through handcrafting. The base is fired in its natural state, and the unglazed surface expresses the roughness of the clay, which not only looks good, but also feels appealing when you touch it in your palm.

The size and weight are well balanced, fitting comfortably in the palm of your hand, and it feels very natural in your hand. The texture changes and becomes more familiar with use, making it truly worthy of being called a "vessel that you can grow with."

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Practical and poetic as a sake cup

When sake is poured into the vessel, the pale yellow interior shines faintly as the liquid ripples. The aroma of the sake, the temperature of your hand, the sound of pouring, the feel of the rim on your lips - this vessel becomes a stage that enriches the act of drinking, which is experienced through the five senses.

In particular, when you sip a drink from this vessel during a quiet moment, you will feel as if the "voice of the earth" resonates not with your ears but with your heart. This sake cup is a vessel that allows you to spend time with a part of nature, and that is the essence of this sake cup.

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The sixth generation of Bunsai Ogawa’s perspective on “earth”

In the technique of nerikomi, Ogawa Bunsai does not go for color or technique, but rather sticks to the "narrative of the clay itself." The fact that Bunsai, who is famous for his green glaze expression, chooses the simple expression of nerikomi is also an expression of his sincere attitude to return to the origins of pottery, which are earth and fire.

"I create what I think is beautiful with all my might while praying for peace" - the works that are born from this belief have a "core" rather than a decorative quality. This work is quiet and warm, strong and gentle. It is a vessel that harbors such human charm.

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Culture and prayers in the palm of your hand

This "Nerikomi Sake Cup" does not imitate the beauty of nature, but rather seems to invite "nature itself" into the palm of your hand. Mountains, wind, earth, fire, rain -- all of these are engraved into this small vessel.

The more you use it, the more its flavor deepens, and over time a "landscape" emerges. Please enjoy a quiet moment in your daily life with this sake cup, and a drink that makes you listen to the poetry of the earth.