Green sake cup by Bunsai Ogawa

Width: 7.5cm x 7.5cm Height: 5.0cm

The green that breathes in the fields - Green-green sake cup by Ogawa Bunsai VI (Kyo)

A bowl enveloped in soft light, its expression changes as the clay and glaze blend together. This "Emerald Green Sake Cup," created by Ogawa Bunsai (Oki) VI, is a vessel that symbolizes the "tranquility" that gently permeates our daily lives. The gentle green glaze that envelops the entire piece seems to reflect the tranquility of nature, like the moss-covered rock surfaces that grow naturally in the deep mountains, or plants wet with morning dew.

Gentle greenery, quiet scenery

The glaze on this sake cup is not what you might call a flashy color, but rather a calm, gentle emerald green. Looking closely, you can see that the slightly yellowish base color and the blue-green glaze form layers, with the flow and pooling of the glaze creating a quiet range of shades. It has a modest yet unforgettable beauty, like the underside of a blade of grass that suddenly catches your eye while walking along a mountain path.

This green is a "color that symbolizes peace" that Ogawa Bunsai has been working with for many years, and it has a hidden capacity to calm the minds of those who see it and to quiet the aura of those who pick it up.

The swaying of the rim and the memory of the hand

This piece is extremely simple in form, without any excessive design. However, it is precisely in this simplicity that Bunsai's sophisticated sense of form resides. The rim is slightly wavy, and rather than being a mechanically perfect circle, it has been finished in a shape that leaves traces of the human hand. This naturally fits the user's lips, and even gently guides the gesture of drinking sake.

The inside of the vessel is bright and whitish, softly reflecting the color of the sake poured into it and perfectly supporting the "beauty of use" of the sake cup. It is as if Bunsai's philosophy that "a vessel is only complete when it is used" is directly embodied in this design.

Enjoy the scenery in the palm of your hand

Holding it in the palm of your hand feels as if you have scooped up a fragment of nature. The glossy texture of the glaze and the warmth of the base are conveyed alternately to your fingertips, transforming the act of drinking into a moment of quiet meditation.

The appearance of this piece changes subtly depending on how the light hits it and the angle at which you hold it, creating a timeless charm. It is not just beautiful, but it is no exaggeration to say that it is a piece that makes you realize something every time you look at it.

A vessel that holds green prayers

Ogawa Bunsai's pursuit of green stems from the calming quality of the color and his belief that it is a color that calms conflict. Green, the polar opposite of the power and competition symbolized by red and gold, has been at the heart of the Bunsai kiln as a symbol of connecting people and nature, and leading to harmony.

This sake cup is a work that embodies this philosophy. It is not an extravagant statement or presentation, but rather embodies a "modest yet solid presence." It has been perfected to the highest degree as a vessel that embraces the user's tranquility and sharpens the five senses.

A drop of silence in your everyday life

This "Emerald Green Sake Cup" is truly "poetry in the midst of everyday life." Every time you use it, you feel like stopping to think. The simple act of drinking brings about small discoveries and emotions.

When you pour sake from the cup in your palm, you can sense the harmony that Ogawa Bunsai desires. Welcome a drop of serenity and harmony into your daily life with this quietly speaking vessel.