26314 Living National Treasure HAMADA Shoji Sake cup (salt glaze) HAMADA Syoji

Height: 6.9 cm
Diameter: 8.2 cm

A work by Shoji Hamada, a Living National Treasure who is still collected worldwide. Hamada studied the fundamentals of pottery under Itaya Hazan, a doyen of modern Japanese ceramics, and devoted himself to glaze research with Kanjiro Kawai, a master of the folk art movement. He elevated Mashiko ware, famous for its folk pottery, to the realm of art and became a world-renowned ceramic artist. This piece utilizes the salt glaze technique, with a beautiful gosu blue color. Shoji's *guinomi* (sake cups) are rare in number, and salt-glazed sake cups are even more so.