BABA TAKASHI Shino cup

Description

is cup is part of the Shino collection by Baba Takashi. The Shino collection is a fusion of two outstanding Japanese ceramic styles: Shino and Bizen. These cups pair beautifully with a Tokkuri (sake flask) or with the small round bowls.

Whether for tea, whisky, sake or water, these cups sit lightly and comfortably in the hand thanks to their soft, rounded shape.

For these cups, Baba Takashi combines clay from Bizen with a Shino glaze. Applied slightly thicker than on the bowls, the Shino glaze shows fine lemon-peel-like pinholing at the base, a characteristic feature of Shino ware. The glaze is also somewhat lighter, while its interaction with the iron oxide in the clay produces delicate reddish tones.
Inside the cup, Baba-san explores additional layers of tonal variation. Typical of wood firing, a natural ash glaze settles gently over the Shino surface. The greenish-blue glaze occasionally gathers into small “glaze eyes” and also produces the characteristic fine crackle lines.

On the outer base, the reddish Bizen clay is clearly visible, along with the fingerprints left behind from dipping the piece into the glaze. The underside of the cup has been trimmed in Baba Takashi’s characteristic style — both rough and refined — featuring a prominent ridge that runs through the foot.

BABA TAKASHI

Baba Takashi, the young ceramic sculptor from Bizen, is not reinventing Bizen pottery but continuing its evolution. Coming from a family of potters, Baba-san studied sculpture, an influence that is strongly reflected in his ceramics.
Through new forms that nonetheless remain functional, he aims to introduce a fresh impulse. He has also studied glazes in depth to bring greater intensity to the otherwise restrained natural tones of Bizen ware.
Highly experimental by nature, Baba-san seeks to unite two styles — Shino and Bizen. His creations reflect determination and strength, while at the same time conveying grace and harmony.