Nitten Special Selection Award Winner, Medal with Yellow Ribbon Recipient: Takeo Yoshida, Crystal Chamfered and Engraved Sake Cup "Sculpture of Light" - A Light-Infused Sake Vessel Imbued with the Modern Craft Spirit from His Tenure at Kagami Crystal #139

This crystal sake cup, crafted by Takeo Yoshida (1916–2002)—a titan who represented the glass art world from the Showa to the Heisei eras and was highly renowned as a Contemporary Master Craftsman—is a supreme masterpiece that encapsulates the exceptionally high purity of the material and his unique design philosophy of skillfully manipulating the refraction of light. The open forge of Takeo Yoshida's artistry was rooted in his 1939 graduation from the Tokyo Fine Arts School, Crafts Department, Lacquerware Section, where he mastered lacquer art, the very core of traditional Japanese aesthetics. During his studies in 1938, he active as a member of the Keii Kogei Dojin, winning an award at the 3rd Jizai Craft Art Exhibition. Following graduation, his selection for the 6th New Ministry of Education Art Exhibition (Shin-Bunten) in 1943 marked his emergence as a young banner-bearer of traditional crafts. In 1947, he co-founded the Katagata Craft Group (Katagata Kogei Shudan) and held its inaugural exhibition at Wako in Ginza. A major turning point arrived in 1949 when he joined the Kagami Crystal Manufactory. From this moment, the rigorous eye for form he had cultivated through lacquerware was directed toward a new, translucent material: glass. In 1952, he participated in the formation of the Creative Craft Association (Soshaku Kogei Kyokai), presenting works at their first exhibition at the Shiseido Gallery, and in the following year of 1953, he won the coveted Special Selection (Tokusen) Award at the 9th Nitten Exhibition. Furthermore, through the co-founding of the Japan Designer-Craftsmen Association in 1956 and his appointment as a founding committee member of Craft Center Japan in 1959, he literally spearheaded the dawn of the post-war Japanese modern craft movement. His pioneering footsteps are historically chronicled by his selection for "The Century of Modern Crafts Exhibition" at the Kanagawa Prefectural Museum of Modern Art and "The 10 Years of Modern Art Masterpieces Exhibition" at Toyoko in Shibuya.

In the latter half of his career, he further deepened the beauty of traditional crafts. Beginning with his commendation as a Contemporary Master Craftsman by the Minister of Labor in 1974, he accumulated top awards at the Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition, including the Tokyo Metropolitan Governor's Award and the Japan Art Crafts Association Holder's Award. His supreme technique and artistic genius received immutable acclaim through a series of national honors: the Medal with Yellow Ribbon in 1986, the permanent acquisition of his representative masterpiece "Date-hyo" (Date Gourd-shaped Vase) by the National Crafts Museum in 1988, and the conferment of the Order of the Sacred Treasure, Gold Rays with Rosette (Fifth Class) in 1992. At the foundation of Takeo Yoshida's artistic philosophy lay a mandate not to flaunt flashy decorations or novel techniques, but to engage with the innocent material of crystal glass with absolute sincerity, drawing out its inherent transparency and the structural beauty of light. The geometric composition, stripped of all superfluous ornamentation, brings the intrinsic beauty of the material to the ultimate foreground.

Particularly eye-catching is the profound, sculptural chamfering applied to the base. The sharp faceting, which appears as if the light itself has been sharply carved out from a block of glass, is a design style synonymous with the artist, beautifully manifesting the aesthetic beauty he lifelong pursued: giving physical form to the structure of light. Furthermore, the pinnacle highlight of this work resides in the single, perfectly round air bubble intentionally sealed within the center of the thick bottom of the base. Positioned inside a space purged of impurities to the utmost limit, this solitary grain of air gathers the light reflected by the surrounding chamfered facets back to the center, radiating a mysterious glow akin to a silvery gemstone. The bowl that holds the sake forms a clean, dignified cylindrical shape, but peering into its interior bottom reveals a delicate engraved pattern reminiscent of flowing water or a gentle breeze, imparting a soft nuance to the rigid crystal. The powerful signature "Made by Takeo" and the seal inscribed upon the original wooden box symbolize the pride of an artist who never ceased to question the true value of his materials.

Our shop proposes this masterpiece by a giant who carved an immortal footprint into the history of Japanese glass art, not merely as a sake cup, but as a special vessel designed to awaken the charms of the highest quality Japanese whiskey or aged sake that has deepened over time through all five senses. While the piece possesses a modest size that nestles comfortably in the hand, the moment it is held, the pleasant weight and definitive mass characteristic of fine crystal are solemnly transmitted to the palm. When the amber liquid of aged spirit is poured within, the single air bubble at the base transmits and reflects those rich hues, allowing you to directly relish Takeo Yoshida's exceptional sensibility—which adopted light itself as an element of design—amidst your daily luxurious moments. This is a crystalline embodiment of modern craft combining historical value and utilitarian beauty, a rare find seldom encountered even within domestic and international markets.

• Artist: Takeo Yoshida (1916–2002)
• Artist's Representative Activities: [1938] Won an award at the 3rd Jizai Craft Art Exhibition as a member of Keii Kogei Dojin, [1939] Graduated from Tokyo Fine Arts School, Crafts Department, Lacquerware Section, [1943] Selected for the 6th Shin-Bunten Exhibition, [1947] Co-founded the Katagata Craft Group, [1949] Joined Kagami Crystal Manufactory, [1952] Participated in the formation of the Creative Craft Association, [1953] Won the Special Selection Award at the 9th Nitten Exhibition, [1956] Participated in the formation of the Japan Designer-Craftsmen Association, [1957] Exhibited at "The Century of Modern Crafts Exhibition" (Kanagawa Prefectural Museum of Modern Art) and others, [1959] Appointed as a founding committee member of Craft Center Japan, [1974] Commended as a Contemporary Master Craftsman by the Minister of Labor, [1977] Selected for the 24th Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition for the first time, [1981] Won the Tokyo Metropolitan Governor's Award at the 28th Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition, [1986] Awarded the Medal with Yellow Ribbon, [1990] Received the Minister of International Trade and Industry Award (Traditional Crafts Industry Outstanding Technician Commendation), [1992] Conferred the Order of the Sacred Treasure, Gold Rays with Rosette (Fifth Class), [1995] Won the Japan Art Crafts Association Holder's Award at the 42nd Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition
• Museum Collections: National Crafts Museum (Independent Administrative Institution National Museum of Art, formerly the Crafts Gallery of the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo), Koriyama City Museum of Art, and others
• Circa: 1980s (Estimated)
• Condition: Very good (no chips, no cracks)
• Accessories: Original wooden box included
• Material: Hand-blown glass, crystal glass
• Dimensions: Height approx. 8.0 cm, width approx. 3.5 cm
• Note: All items offered by our shop, even if new and unused, are from a very old production period and are listed as used. Please be aware that products may have damage due to age, and consider your purchase after understanding and confirming this.