This is a faceted yunomi cup by Iwamoto Tetsuya (岩本哲也, 1960–), a Bizen-ware artist. The sides of the wheel-thrown body have been cut away at a twisting slant into a polyhedral form, and kigoma (黄胡麻), yellow ash that fell on the piece in the kiln and melted, covers mainly one face. It is an unglazed, high-fired (yakishime) piece, and the other faces show fired surfaces ranging from reddish brown to dark brown and bluish gray. Besides its use as a teacup, we propose it as a Japanese-style rocks glass for enjoying old-bottle whisky and long-aged spirits on the rocks.
Iwamoto Tetsuya was born in 1960 (Showa 35) in Imbe, Bizen City, Okayama Prefecture, the home of Bizen ware, and after graduating from high school in 1979 (Showa 54) began training under the artist's father, the Bizen-ware potter Iwamoto Shūichi (岩本修一). The studio, 万燈窯, stands on high ground beside the pond 大ヶ池, overlooking the town of Imbe. In 1990 (Heisei 2) Iwamoto was certified as a full member of the Japan Kōgei Association and belongs to its Chūgoku branch and ceramics division. The association's records of works list 13 selections at the Japan Traditional Kōgei Exhibition, from the 34th in 1987 (Showa 62) to the 55th in 2008 (Heisei 20), and 25 selections at the Japan Traditional Kōgei Chūgoku Exhibition. The profile published by the Bizen Pottery Tōyūkai cooperative also lists prizes and selections at the Okayama Prefectural Art Exhibition, the Traditional Kōgei East Chūgoku Exhibition, the Tanabe Museum of Art's "Chanoyu no Zōkei" (forms of the tea ceremony) exhibition, the Issuikai Exhibition and an open competition for yakishime ceramics, as well as a prize at an exhibition of sake vessels.
At the Japan Traditional Kōgei Chūgoku Exhibition, Iwamoto's 「備前大鉢」 (large Bizen bowl) received the Okayama Governor's Prize at the 39th exhibition in 1996 (Heisei 8); 「備前窯変深鉢」 received the 50th Anniversary Encouragement Prize at the 50th in 2007 (Heisei 19), 「備前窯変長方組皿」 the Okayama Prefectural Board of Education Superintendent's Prize at the 51st in 2008 (Heisei 20), and 「備前窯変五角皿」 the Sanyo Broadcasting Prize at the 53rd in 2010 (Heisei 22). Most of the exhibited works are large plates and bowls, and all three prize-winning works from 2007 onward carry the word yōhen (窯変, kiln transformation) in their titles. According to Bizen City's explanation, the kiln effects of Bizen ware include goma (胡麻), in which ash from split pine firewood melts in the heat into an ash glaze that looks like scattered sesame seeds, and yōhen and sangiri (桟切り), in which pieces buried in ash are reduction-fired and turn black, blue, gray and other colors; no two results are ever the same. Faceting is also a form the artist has worked with in exhibited pieces, such as 「備前面取扁壺」 (faceted flat Bizen jar) at the 33rd Chūgoku Exhibition in 1990 (Heisei 2) and 「面取花入」 (faceted flower vase) at the Traditional Kōgei Ceramics Division Exhibition.
Among the kiln effects of Bizen ware, this cup clearly shows goma. On the kigoma face, fine ash has melted into granules that glow golden; on the neighboring faces less ash has settled, and the fired color shifts from reddish brown to dark brown and bluish gray. Several faces twist diagonally from rim to base with sharp ridges between them, and because the amount of ash and the fired color change at each ridge, every face has a different character. The rim also undulates along the facets, and when the cup is held, the fingers rest on the faces for a secure grip. The interior is bare clay, with a clear spiral from the wheel at the center. The base is reddish-brown clay containing sand and small stones, with a mark incised with a spatula. Though it is a small piece rather than one of the large plates and bowls typical of the artist's prize-winning works, it lets one examine at hand both the faceted form the artist has pursued and goma, one of the kiln effects of Bizen ware.
No box, leaflet or other accompanying material is included, so there is no clue to the date of production. Nothing can be determined beyond its having been made in or after 1979, when the artist began training.
- Artist: Iwamoto Tetsuya (岩本哲也, 1960–) / 万燈窯 kiln (Imbe, Bizen City, Okayama)
- Representative Career Highlights: [1960] Born in Imbe, Bizen City, Okayama; [1979] After high school, began training under the artist's father, Iwamoto Shūichi; [1987] Selected for the 34th Japan Traditional Kōgei Exhibition (13 selections in total through the 55th in 2008); [1990] Certified as a full member of the Japan Kōgei Association / 「備前面取扁壺」 selected for the 33rd Japan Traditional Kōgei Chūgoku Exhibition; [1996] Okayama Governor's Prize, 39th Japan Traditional Kōgei Chūgoku Exhibition; [2007] 50th Anniversary Encouragement Prize, 50th Japan Traditional Kōgei Chūgoku Exhibition; [2008] Okayama Prefectural Board of Education Superintendent's Prize, 51st Japan Traditional Kōgei Chūgoku Exhibition; [2010] Sanyo Broadcasting Prize, 53rd Japan Traditional Kōgei Chūgoku Exhibition; [2020] Selected for the 63rd Japan Traditional Kōgei Chūgoku Exhibition (25 selections in total at that exhibition)
- Public Collections: No public collection records at museums or similar institutions could be confirmed
- Production Period: Unknown (no box or leaflet; only that it was made in or after 1979, when the artist began training)
- Item Condition: Good (no chips; several fine line scratches on the surface and one thin vertical line on a face near the base; please check the photographs)
- Accessories: None
- Material: Ceramics (Bizen ware, unglazed yakishime)
- Dimensions: Height approx. 8.3–8.7 cm, rim diameter approx. 5.0–5.2 cm, width approx. 8.0–8.3 cm
- Note: Even if the products provided by our shop are unused, they were produced a very long time ago and are all listed as pre-owned items. Please understand and confirm that the item may have age-related wear before considering your purchase.
- 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.
