Sake set 1 pc Tokkuri bottle and 2 pcs Cups Sankei | Kusuo Baba's work in Shinemon Kiln [146178]

[Size of Bottle]
Width: 9.5cm / Height: 13.3cm
Width: 3.7in / Height: 5.2in

[Capacity of bottle]
400 ml
13.5 oz

[Size of Cup]
Width: 6.6cm / Height: 4.7cm
Width: 2.6in / Height: 1.9in

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"Mountain Landscape" Vase by Kusuo Baba, 2nd-generation Head of Shinemon Kiln

This striking vase, titled *"Mountain Landscape (山景)"*, is a masterwork by Kusuo Baba, the second-generation head of the renowned Shinemon Kiln?one of the leading names in Arita ware. The piece captures the grandeur of distant mountain ranges, with its bold design evoking peaks rising into a vast sky.

The dynamic contrast between the deep crimson *Shinsya* (cinnabar glaze) used to depict the mountains and the jet-black *Tenmoku* glaze representing the surrounding space creates a profound sense of depth. The vivid interplay between these two glazes draws the viewer in, offering a contemplative view into nature’s majesty.

Shinemon Kiln is known as a pioneer of *Yohen*?a technique that masterfully manipulates glazes to create dramatic, unpredictable changes during firing. Kusuo Baba, the current head of the kiln, is a leading figure in this field. In *"Mountain Landscape,"* the Yohen effect is brilliantly displayed: the Tenmoku glaze suggests a midnight sky, while the Shinsya glaze emerges like glowing peaks bathed in the light of dusk.

This work distills the poetry and mystery of the natural world into a single ceramic form?an evocative and contemplative expression of Arita’s ceramic artistry.


[Potter Profile]
Kusuo Baba
(The second-generation head of the Shinemon Kiln)
Member of Nitten / Councilor of the Japan Contemporary Arts and Crafts Association / Vice President of the Saga Prefecture Ceramic Association / Director of the Saga Art Association

I create works that inherit the tradition of Arita ware while aligning with contemporary sensibilities. I specialize in the Yohen technique, which skillfully manipulates glazes, adding an element of serendipity to each piece as it reaches completion, thereby expressing a mystical beauty.

[Kusuo Baba's career is as follows ]
Born in 1952
1976: Joined the Saga Prefecture Ceramic Research Institute, where he learned the basics of ceramics and began researching glazes.
1980: Joined Maemon Kiln and began creating pottery, continuing his research on glazes to this day.
1981: Received strong guidance from Ryuzan Aoki, a recipient of the Order of Culture.
1997: Selected for the Nitten exhibition for "Kyoku Ei." Subsequently, he has been selected 20 times.
2004: Exhibited "Haruka wo Nozomu" and "Umibe no Uta" at the Arita Pottery Exhibition in Germany.
2010: Held the "Encountering Colors at Ogurayama" exhibition at Jojakkoji Temple in Kyoto.
2014: Appointed as a judge for the 53rd Contemporary Arts and Crafts Exhibition.
2021: Elected as a councilor of the Japan Contemporary Arts and Crafts Association.

[Main Awards]
1997: Selected for the Nitten exhibition for "Kyoku Ei."
2000: Awarded the Grand Prize and the 50th Anniversary Special Prize at the Saga Prefecture Exhibition for "Haruka na Sazanami."
2003: Received the Ryuzan Aoki Prize at the 100th Anniversary Kyushu Yamaguchi Ceramic Exhibition for "Umibe no Uta."
2005: Received the Contemporary Craft Award at the Contemporary Craft Exhibition for "Reimei-05."
2008: Received the Contemporary Craft Full Member Award at the Contemporary Craft Exhibition for "Kyoku-08(1)."
2011: Received the Director's Award at the 50th Anniversary Japan Contemporary Arts and Crafts Exhibition for "Sazanami no Uta."
2012: Won the Special Prize at the Nitten exhibition for "Haruka na Mine."
2012: Received the Grand Prize and the Ryuzan Aoki Prize at the Contemporary Crafts Kyushu Exhibition for "Sankei."