White glaze Katakuchi Yu Okada

Width: 12.0cm Height: 8.5cm

White-glazed Katakuchi (Hakuyu Katakuchi) by Okada Masaru - "The pure vessel reflects the pale moon, adding a quiet glow to each drop of hot water and sake."

The appeal of the work

The soft white glaze evokes the image of thin clouds. Across its tranquil surface, half-moon lines appear as if scooped up with a brush. The modest beak on one side of the rim evokes the image of a thin drop of water, adding a delicate aftertaste to the act of pouring.

Only the base is finished with a black glaze, creating a contrast between the two colors, with the silence of white and the darkness of night. When held in the palm of your hand, the smoothness of the white glaze interacts with the slight roughness of the base, completing the landscape in your hand.

The author's perspective

Okada Masaru's philosophy is "like the wind blowing gently inside and outside the vessel," and he has entrusted this philosophy to the breathing of the white glaze and the crescent moon lines. A crescent moon peeking out from between the clouds at midnight in Sumiyama, Uji. This fleeting scene is quietly captured in a single line and a black hill.

Conclusion

This white-glazed katakuchi sake cup captures the momentary expression of black and white, light and shadow, and the waxing and waning moon. Pour in hot water, pour in sake, and enjoy the moment as the shadow of the half moon moves from vessel to vessel. The longer you use it, the softer the luster the white glaze will acquire, and the shadows of the engraved lines will begin to speak of an even deeper moonlit night.