Coffee Cup and Saucer Oboro-sakura | Kusuo Baba's work in Shinemon Kiln [146179]
Coffee Cup and Saucer Oboro-sakura | Kusuo Baba's work in Shinemon Kiln
[146179]
Price: 33,000JPY
Weight: 550g
Low stock
[Cup size]
Length: 10.8cm / Width: 8.5cm / Height: 7.4cm
Length: 4.3in / Width: 3.3in / Height: 2.9in
[Saucer size]
Width: 15.3cm
Width: 6in
-----------------------
This is a work by Kusuo Baba, the second-generation head of Shinemon Kiln, one of the representative kilns of Arita ware.
Titled “Oborozakura” (“Hazy Cherry Blossoms”), it is a refined and delicate creation that eternally preserves the fleeting beauty of cherry blossoms within shimmering crystalline patterns.
Shinemon Kiln is renowned as a pioneer in the yohen technique, which requires exceptional mastery in manipulating glazes. This piece was personally created by Kusuo Baba himself. Yohen refers to the transformations that occur inside the kiln, where glaze colors and patterns change unpredictably, revealing the beauty and mystery of nature. The glaze used here, called Oborozakura, was born from the miraculous intersection of kiln fire—nature’s force—combined with the long-cultivated skills of a master craftsman and the sensitivity of a singular moment. Its faint, delicate coloration, shifting gently with the angle of light, evokes the very image of cherry blossoms blooming in a spring night’s dream.
When deep, rich coffee is poured, it mingles with the soft cherry-colored crystals, reflecting a dreamlike vision reminiscent of hanaikada—petals drifting across a rippling water surface. This work allows beauty to be appreciated visually, texture to be felt by touch, and bliss to be completed through taste. Oborozakura promises a serene and fulfilling experience that engages all five senses. Life is enriched by the accumulation of such moments that nourish the heart.
Brought to life by an artist who masterfully draws out the fullest expression of glaze, this elegant coffee cup and saucer reveal new scenery each time they are held. Every use becomes a special occasion—an invitation to savor both coffee and the vessel’s ever-changing beauty.
[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."
Length: 10.8cm / Width: 8.5cm / Height: 7.4cm
Length: 4.3in / Width: 3.3in / Height: 2.9in
[Saucer size]
Width: 15.3cm
Width: 6in
-----------------------
This is a work by Kusuo Baba, the second-generation head of Shinemon Kiln, one of the representative kilns of Arita ware.
Titled “Oborozakura” (“Hazy Cherry Blossoms”), it is a refined and delicate creation that eternally preserves the fleeting beauty of cherry blossoms within shimmering crystalline patterns.
Shinemon Kiln is renowned as a pioneer in the yohen technique, which requires exceptional mastery in manipulating glazes. This piece was personally created by Kusuo Baba himself. Yohen refers to the transformations that occur inside the kiln, where glaze colors and patterns change unpredictably, revealing the beauty and mystery of nature. The glaze used here, called Oborozakura, was born from the miraculous intersection of kiln fire—nature’s force—combined with the long-cultivated skills of a master craftsman and the sensitivity of a singular moment. Its faint, delicate coloration, shifting gently with the angle of light, evokes the very image of cherry blossoms blooming in a spring night’s dream.
When deep, rich coffee is poured, it mingles with the soft cherry-colored crystals, reflecting a dreamlike vision reminiscent of hanaikada—petals drifting across a rippling water surface. This work allows beauty to be appreciated visually, texture to be felt by touch, and bliss to be completed through taste. Oborozakura promises a serene and fulfilling experience that engages all five senses. Life is enriched by the accumulation of such moments that nourish the heart.
Brought to life by an artist who masterfully draws out the fullest expression of glaze, this elegant coffee cup and saucer reveal new scenery each time they are held. Every use becomes a special occasion—an invitation to savor both coffee and the vessel’s ever-changing beauty.
[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."
 |
Import duties, taxes, and charges are not included in the item price or shipping cost. When a duty occurs, you are responsible for paying Customs Duties. |
 |
 |
Source: www.exchange-rates.org
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Porcelain production started in Japan in the 17th century after kaorin stone was discovered in Arita. From the middle 17th century, large amounts of Arita ceramics, which captivated the European royalty and nobility, were exported to Europe, through the Dutch trading post on Dejima Island in Nagasaki. Augustus the Strong, Elector of Saxony, was so fond of Arita ceramics that he ordered porcelain resembling Arita ceramics to be made in his electorate. In Arita, the tradition and techniques of Arita ceramics have been preserved for over 400 years, while young potters and workshops take on the callenge of producing ambitious new works. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
