Sake cup (guinomi) c. early 21th century

This is a sake cup, or 'guinomi', by Takeuchi Kimiaki, likely made sometime in the late 20th century, out of stoneware with a kind of drippy glaze. There's something about the rough texture and muted colors that feels both ancient and modern, like it could have been unearthed from an archaeological dig or found in a cool ceramics studio downtown. I love how the glaze pools and drips down the sides, creating these organic, unpredictable patterns. It’s like the cup is wearing a little mossy coat, or maybe it’s just been dipped in some primordial ooze. The surface is uneven, almost like the clay was shaped by hand with a very particular lack of concern for symmetry. The rim is wonky, and the whole thing has this beautifully imperfect quality. If you look closely, you can see where the artist’s fingers pressed into the clay, leaving these subtle indentations that give the cup a sense of intimacy and history. Thinking about Lucie Rie or even some of the funkier ceramicists working today, you can feel how art objects enter into a conversation across time. We bring our own experiences and interpretations to it, and it becomes something new each time.