246. MURAKOSHI Takuma, 1954- , guinomi

246. MURAKOSHI Takuma  村越琢磨, 1954- ,  Shunjū sake-nomi 春秋酒呑 (colorful sake cup)

 

For Murakoshi, see item no. 234. 

Light gray clay, with glazes in white, blue, black, and a dark reddish brown; a few spots on both the external and the internal walls are unglazed with kiln effects in light pink (much like the color on the mizusashi by Murakoshi (item no. 235) and a pool of vitrified green-glass-like deposit in the bowl of the cup. Weight: 276 g (10 oz). Height: 6.7 cm (2-5/8 in). Widths: rim, 8.7 x 7/8 cm (3-1/2 x 3-1/8 in), base, 5 cm (2 in). Capacity: 90 ml (6 tablespoons, or 3/8 cup). 

This was formed by hand in Murakoshi’s crude, chunky style. It sits on a flat, circular base. The remains of the three posts used to separate the piece from the kiln shelf are visible. The center of the base was pushed in to form a cavity about 1.3 cm (1/2 in) deep. The walls were formed into a pedestal that slopes upward and outward before flaring out into the bowl of the drinking cup, starting about 3.7 cm (1-1/2 in) above the base. The pedestal area consists of deep grooves bordered by sharp ridges; the pedestal is roughly circular in cross-section. The bowl is an oval. The interior of the bowl is about 4 cm (1-5.8 in) deep. The surface of the piece is smooth and glossy with a few sharp spots. 

Murakoshi makes many pieces, especially those used for eating and drinking, with this style of decoration, which he labels shunjū; this translates literally as “spring and autumn,” but here means something more like “colorful.”  It features a creamy white base, with splashes of blue and black and sometimes a dark brownish red. The glazes on this particular piece exhibit more carbon capture than on other pieces with the same decoration scheme (at least to judge from the pictures), and hence the colors are somewhat darker and more muted in tone. This piece also has a nice pool of the vitrified, green-glass-like bidoro at the bottom of the bowl that occurs when the ash deposits melt during the firing. This vitrified green-glass deposit may be the result of shizuku 雫, a natural, unplanned, and unpredictable kiln event when built-up ash, usually on the ceiling of the kiln or on the underside of a kiln shelf, melts and falls onto a piece, creating a droplet or drip.

This fits nicely in the hand—the grooves and ridges in the pedestal area create comfortable areas for the fingers to hold this piece. The chaos of the decoration matches the chaos of the shape. 

This came in a wooden box inscribed by Murakoshi in his distinctive calligraphy. As is his wont, the inscription begins on top of the box and continues down the front side. The inscription, in three lines, reads 春秋 / 酒呑 /たくま shunjū / sake-nomi/ Takuma (colorful / drinking cup / Takuma). The top is stamped in red with a seal with Murakoshi’s studio name: へうげも屋  (Hyōgemono-ya, “Jocular Fellow Studio”). He uses the kyūkanazukai, or old kana usage, to write hyō. Hyōgemono is also the name of a popular manga character. On the side of the box is another seal stamped in red, giving Takuma in characters, 琢磨. Included in the box were a brown wrapping cloth and a printed leaflet from Murakoshi. 

Purchased from the Kura Monzen Gallery in Kyoto, Japan, in March 2024 (invoice, customs and shipping documents)