One of the most respected potters of post-war Japan, Goro Suzuki is known for his contemporary revivals of Momoyama era Mino wares. In addition to his wildly innovative oribe wares, he also produces beautiful ki-seto, setoguro, karatsu, and shino ceramics.

This sake cup is an example of Suzuki’s nezumi or grey shino. Before the feldspar-rich shino glaze is added, he coated the cup with an iron-oxide slip. The combination of the two results in a rich variety of colours ranging from light grey to purple-brown, like this cup here.

Suzuki’s cup - squared at the corners and so low the foot almost disappears - echoes the proportions of a tea bowl. It’s as if Suzuki made a chawan but shrunk it down to guinomi size. The exposed clay body underneath reveals the “soft” buff mogusa clay typical of the Seto region. In glaze, shape, and clay, this guinomi is a fine example of Suzuki breathing new life into Momoyama ceramics.

Comes with the signed and titled wood box.