This is a Kohiki iron-painted coffee cup and saucer crafted by Yamada Hikaru (山田光, 1923–2001), a titan of modern ceramic art who co-founded the avant-garde ceramic art group "Sodeisha" in 1948 alongside Yagi Kazuo and Suzuki Osamu, and consistently led the group until its dissolution in 1998. The artist, Yamada Hikaru, grew up immersed in pottery making from an early age under Yamada Hikaru's father, the ceramic artist Yamada Tetsu, and acquired professional expertise in the Ceramics Department of the Kyoto Higher School of Crafts (currently Kyoto Institute of Technology). The artist is one of the most vital artists who liberated ceramics from the conventional "beauty of utility" and established the genre of objet ceramics as pure artistic creation in Japan. Throughout Yamada Hikaru's life, the artist was awarded the Japan Ceramic Society Award (and later its Gold Prize), recognized as a Kyoto City Person of Cultural Merit, and received the Kyoto Art and Culture Award. The artist's works are extensively housed in major museums both within Japan and internationally.
Our shop proposes this precious coffee cup and saucer, left behind by this leading figure of avant-garde ceramics, not merely as a coffee cup, but as a special Japanese Kogei sake vessel tailored for slowly savoring the highest quality Japanese whisky or aged sake that has deepened with time. The mug-shaped design, featuring a slightly smaller size, possesses an ample presence to thoroughly enjoy the rich aroma of aged sake right in your hand. Furthermore, the soft white tone of the Kohiki glaze that envelops the entire vessel vividly highlights the beautiful amber gradation of whisky, maximizing its visual allure. The entire surface of the vessel exhibits a fine, beautiful crazing that is evenly distributed without being overly assertive, forming a profound expression nurtured by time. In addition, the authentic pottery mark of the character "Hikaru" is clearly discernible at the base of the cup's handle and on the reverse side of the saucer.
The greatest highlight of this work lies in the exceptional integration of Yamada Hikaru's signature avant-garde objet-making philosophy into a practical vessel. While Yamada Hikaru focused primarily on the production of one-of-a-kind objets, the artist also possessed a profound passion for craft design, establishing "Mon Kobo" in the 1960s to pursue modern design in everyday vessels. In contrast to the cup body, which features an organic, soft distortion born of hand-molding, the handle is joined with a linear, architectural geometric structure, demonstrating an intellectual form that controls the properties of clay with peak technical mastery. The dark brown iron-painted dotted line pattern running vertically on the front elevates the design into a sophisticated graphic statement reminiscent of Mid-Century Modernism and abstract painting. Furthermore, the circular exposed clay area at the base of the cup can be analyzed as a uniquely conceptual expression by the artist, visually translating the philosophy of holes and windows that permeate spaces—as seen in Yamada Hikaru's representative "Screen Series"—into a practical vessel where physical holes cannot be made. The lid of the original wooden box bears the artist's handwritten title "Kohiki," Yamada Hikaru's signature "Hikaru Zo," and a genuine seal verifying its authenticity, completely confirming its reliability as a historical collection. 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.
- Artist: Yamada Hikaru (山田光, 1923–2001)
- Artist's Representative Activities: [1948] Co-founded the avant-garde ceramic art group "Sodeisha" with Yagi Kazuo and Suzuki Osamu, [1962] Established "Mon Kobo" to pursue modern design in living spaces, [1970s] Received the Japan Ceramic Society Award (and later the Gold Prize), [1990s] Received the Kyoto Art and Culture Award and recognized as a Kyoto City Person of Cultural Merit
- Museum Collections: The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo; The National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto; Shigaraki Ceramic Cultural Park; Kyoto City KYOCERA Museum of Art, and others
- Circa: Early 1960s (Estimated)
- Condition: Very good (no chips, no cracks)
- Accessories: Original wooden box included
- Material: Ceramic (Kohiki, Iron Paint)
- Dimensions: Cup: Height approx. 7.5 cm, mouth diameter approx. 6.5 cm / Saucer: Height approx. 1.0 cm, diameter approx. 13.0 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.
- Please check the photos: We prepare every description with great care, but errors may still remain in the text. Please examine the photos carefully before purchasing. Where the photos and the description differ, please take the photos as the basis for the product information.
