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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This is a work by Kusuo Baba, the second-generation head of Shinemon Kiln, one of the representative kilns of Arita ware.
Titled “Sankei” (“Mountain Scenery”), it depicts distant mountain peaks with a grand and majestic design. The contrast between the cinnabar glaze representing the mountain ranges and the tenmoku glaze expressing the background sky is striking, creating a visual depth that draws the viewer in.

Shinemon Kiln is renowned as a leading master of the yohen technique, which requires masterful control of glazes. This piece is personally crafted by Kusuo Baba, the current head of the kiln. Yohen refers to the transformations that occur within the kiln, where glaze colors and patterns change unpredictably, revealing natural beauty and mystery.

In “Sankei”, scarlet mountain ridges in cinnabar emerge against the profound black of the tenmoku glaze. The heavy black glaze carries the depth of a night sky, while the chain of crimson landscapes resembles peaks glowing in the colors of dusk. This poetic design captures the grandeur of nature within the glaze, evoking both majesty and serenity.


[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."