This striking pair of guinomi sake cups by Ichikawa Tōru, titled “Éclat,” presents two compact sculptural vessels whose surfaces evoke geological strata infused with veins of precious metal. Each cup rises from a rugged, heavily textured body built from layered clays and glazes that appear to have fractured, melted, and re-solidified during firing. Across these richly stratified surfaces run dramatic cascades of lustrous metallic glaze—brilliant gold flowing down the exterior like liquid ore—contrasting with passages of marbled whites, pinks, charred blacks, and mineral greys that resemble weathered stone or exposed earth. The rims are finished with a thin line of gold that catches the light and subtly frames the irregular lip, reinforcing the sense that these cups have emerged from a process of controlled eruption. Small punctures, crater-like textures, and fused inclusions across the body create a tactile landscape that rewards close inspection, while the interiors reveal deep, translucent amber tones that glow warmly when filled with sake. Despite their sculptural intensity, the cups remain balanced and comfortable in the hand, embodying Ichikawa’s ongoing dialogue between primal kiln transformation and functional vessel form. The two cups measure 6.7 × 8.2 cm (approximately 2.6 × 3.2 inches) and 7 × 7.6 cm (approximately 2.8 × 3.0 inches) respectively, together forming a dynamic pair whose luminous metallic surfaces and raw ceramic textures justify the title Éclat, suggesting brilliance, radiance, and the momentary flash of light captured in fired clay.
Ichikawa Toru was born in Tokyo in 1973. In 2015 he established his current studio in Bizen after 4 years of apprenticeship under another Bizen Outsider, Kakurezaki Ryuichi. He has since developed quite a following, with his shows selling out often within hours.
