Japanese Kiseto Yellow Guinomi Sake Cup – Seto Ware Pottery by Takemitsu Iwatsuki

This guinomi (sake cup) is designed for enjoying sake, but can also be used for small servings of tea or water, allowing the warmth of handmade pottery to be appreciated in everyday use.

This handcrafted sake cup is a fine example of Seto ware (Setoyaki 瀬戸焼), created by Takemitsu Iwatsuki, a renowned ceramic artist based in Seto City, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. Deeply rooted in Seto’s ceramic traditions, Iwatsuki is widely respected for his dedication to reviving the timeless beauty of Kiseto glaze.

Kiseto, a representative glaze of Seto ware dating back to the late Muromachi and Momoyama periods (16th century), is characterized by its soft yellow to amber tones. These gentle hues are created by adding iron to ash glaze and firing in an oxidizing atmosphere, a technique long favored for tea bowls and serving vessels in the world of tea ceremony.

In this guinomi, Iwatsuki brings that historic glaze into the present. By carefully sourcing local clays, preparing ash glazes by hand, and refining his firing process, he creates a surface rich in character, with subtle variations and occasional greenish nuances unique to Kiseto.

With its refined form and warm, inviting presence, this guinomi is ideal not only for enjoying fine sake, but also as a small functional artwork that reflects the enduring heritage of Japanese ceramic craftsmanship.