Japanese Unglazed Stem Cup, Bizen-Style Sake Cup on Pedestal Foot, Dark Grey with Blue-Violet Sheen, Yakishime Pottery

A SMALL CHALICE OF FIRED EARTH

The bowl is wide and shallow, the stem short, and the foot flares out like a bell. No glaze covers the surface, so the clay speaks for itself: dark grey-brown, finely ringed from the wheel, and inside the bowl a soft blue-violet sheen like tarnished silver. Turn the cup over and a small square seal is pressed into the hollow of the foot. This is a small Japanese-style stem cup, well suited to sake, in the manner of unglazed Bizen-style pottery.

QUICK FACTS
• Type: stem cup / pedestal cup (高足杯, 馬上杯), small sake cup
• Ware: unglazed, hard-fired stoneware (焼き締め, yakishime) in a Bizen-style manner [Bizen unconfirmed]
• Colour: dark grey-brown with fine wheel rings; blue-violet metallic sheen inside the bowl
• Form: wide, shallow bowl on a short stem and a flared hollow foot
• Mark: impressed square seal in the foot recess [reading pending]

WHAT IS YAKISHIME?
Yakishime (焼き締め) means "fired hard": clay fired at high temperature with no glaze and no painted decoration. Bizen ware from Imbe in Okayama is the best-known example. It is made from iron-rich paddy clay and is valued for its strength and its quiet, earthy colours. Bizen can fire red-brown, grey, blue-grey or white, and the grey and blue-grey pieces are sometimes called Ao-Bizen (青備前) and Shiro-Bizen (白備前).

THE FORM: A CUP WITH A LONG ANCESTRY
Cups on tall feet date back more than a thousand years in East Asia. Early Japanese Sue ware (須恵器), the ancestor of Bizen ware, included footed cups called takatsuki (高杯), and similar stem cups appear in Tang-dynasty China. This small cup carries that old silhouette into a modern, minimal form.

THE SHEEN
The surface inside the bowl has a smooth, blue-violet metallic lustre. We have not confirmed whether it comes from the iron-rich clay, ash and flame, or a smoked or carbonized finish. We describe it by what you can see and leave the cause open.

THE WABI-SABI DETAILS
Wheel rings, small pinholes, faint firing lines on the foot and a worn sheen: these are the marks of fire on unglazed clay, and they are part of the cup's quiet charm.

DISPLAY AND USE
Sold as a collectible and display cup. The clay body and any surface finish have not been tested for food contact, so we do not recommend using it for drinks unless you have it tested. Unglazed clay can absorb liquids, so rinse gently, dry thoroughly and avoid soaking.

CONDITION AND AUTHENTICITY
Sold as a Japanese-style unglazed stem cup in a Bizen-style manner, [maker unconfirmed]. The impressed seal has not been identified. Surface sheen, pinholes and fine firing lines are part of its character. Please review all photos and ask any question before buying.

SHIPPING
Packed in double-boxed protection with foam and paper cushioning. The stem is the most fragile part. Ships worldwide with tracking. Duties and taxes may apply on arrival.