Blue and white porcelain Mizunohana sake cup by Kotaro Ikura

Width: 8.0cm Height: 4.7cm

We would like to introduce the delicate and beautiful "Blue and White Porcelain Water Firefly Sake Cup" created by Kotaro Ikura, who continues to make pottery in Yagyu, a mountain village in Nara that is famous as the home of the master swordsman. This work, which inherits the tradition of celadon and combines history and modern technology, is packed with refined beauty and rich craftsmanship in its small size.

The delicate beauty of 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. A transparent glaze is carefully applied to the openwork carvings on the thin sake cup, and when light passes through the carvings, they become softly transparent and glow ephemerally like fireflies. This delicate and beautiful sight will make the time you pour sake a special one.

The transparency and color of blue-and-white porcelain

The beauty of the pale blue porcelain, a characteristic of Kotaro Ikura's work, is fully displayed in this sake cup. The transparent glaze covers the entire sake cup, and the smooth curves that look like flowing water and the refreshing light blue color are captivating. In particular, the tension and delicate texture of the thin construction and the transparent 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 fusion of new tradition and modern technology born in the land of Yagyu ware

Yagyu ware began when the swordsman Yagyu Jubei's grandmother, Harumomo Gozen, fired a horse-headed Kannon statue, and Mr. Ikura, the fourth generation, has taken over the kiln, which had been suspended for a long time until the Meiji era. He studied under Mr. Fujiwara Tsunenori, a leading figure 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

Kotaro Ikura's works are characterized by their excellent comfort, which makes them fit perfectly in the hand. This sake cup, carefully carved out with a plane, has a delicate curve that fits comfortably in the palm of your hand, and you will feel comfortable every time you hold it. Despite its small and cute form, it has a definite presence and will enrich your daily evening drinks. You can also display it without actually using it.

The pinnacle of Japanese traditional crafts

Kotaro Ikura's work, which has won numerous awards, including the highest award at the Nara Prefectural Art Exhibition, represents the pinnacle of traditional Japanese craftsmanship. This "Blue and White Porcelain Firefly Sake Cup" is also a masterpiece filled with his techniques and aesthetics, and will surely become a lifetime sake cup that you will grow to love more and more over time.

"Blue and white porcelain firefly sake cup by Kotaro Ikura" is a special sake cup that harmonizes the beauty of the firefly technique and blue and white porcelain. Take this opportunity to pick up Kotaro Ikura's delicate and elegant work and enrich your daily drinking time.