Kiseto Guinomi Sake Cup — Wabi Sabi

Kiseto Guinomi Sake Cup — Wabi Sabi

A handcrafted kutsugata (沓形) sake cup by Takemitsu Iwatsuki, a celebrated Seto ware artist from Aichi, Japan. Finished in a warm Kiseto glaze with soft yellow to amber tones, this compact guinomi is equally suited for sake or green tea. A small piece of living Japanese ceramic heritage.

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. Shaped in the traditional kutsugata (沓形) style — an intentionally asymmetrical, shoe-like form cherished in Japanese ceramic and tea culture — the cup has a natural, unpretentious quality that feels comfortable in the hand. 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.

Compact yet refined, this guinomi is wonderfully versatile. While it shines as a vessel for fine sake, its size also makes it a perfect small tea cup for savoring green tea or sencha — a quiet, everyday pleasure in the wabi-sabi spirit.

With its warm, inviting presence, this piece is ideal not only for enjoying Japanese beverages, but also as a small functional artwork that reflects the enduring heritage of Japanese ceramic craftsmanship.