Sake cup (guinomi) c. 20th century

This sake cup, or guinomi, was made by Sugimoto Tatsuo and is now in the Minneapolis Institute of Art. The making of a cup like this is a process full of surprises; the heat of the kiln, the alchemy of the glaze - it's all a beautiful experiment. I love how the surface is almost like a topographical map, tiny fissures and cracks creating a landscape on a miniature scale. The off-white glaze feels thick but with a delicate, almost fragile quality. The way the glaze pools at the base, like a tide receding from the shore, reveals darker, earthier tones beneath. It’s a grounding detail, a reminder of the cup's origins, and it ties the whole piece together. Thinking about other artists, I’m reminded of Lucie Rie. Both Rie and Tatsuo share a similar approach to texture and surface, allowing the materiality of the medium to speak for itself. There is no one way to read this piece, it's an open invitation for contemplation.