6.6cmhighx5.7cm
 
Imagine holding a piece of contemporary Japanese craftsmanship that transforms sake-drinking into a tactile meditation. This isn't just another guinomi—it's a statement of discernment, a conversation starter that bridges tradition and modernity with effortless elegance.
Artist Hayakawa Kei brings a distinctive approach to ceramic art that collectors across Japan have come to recognise. This orange-hued guinomi showcases his signature itooki (thread-texture) technique, where delicate raised lines spiral across the surface like traces of the potter's hand frozen in time. Each groove catches the light differently, creating subtle shadows that shift as you turn the cup—a kinetic experience that demands closer inspection.
The piece stands as testament to Japan's evolving studio pottery movement that emerged in the late twentieth century, when makers began challenging the rigid hierarchies of tea ceremony vessels. Hayakawa's work occupies that liminal space between functional sake cup and sculptural object, refusing to choose between beauty and utility. The warm orange glaze, achieved through meticulous control of firing atmospheres, evokes autumn persimmons and sunset skies over Kyoto's temple roofs—a palette that feels simultaneously ancient and refreshingly modern.
In European interiors increasingly hungry for handmade authenticity, this guinomi performs beautifully. Picture it on a minimalist sideboard alongside mid-century glassware, or clustered with other studio ceramics on open shelving in a Scandinavian-inspired kitchen. The compact 8cm diameter makes it versatile—equally at home serving single-malt whisky to dinner guests or holding a succulent on a sunlit windowsill. That burnt-orange hue plays particularly well against the greys and whites dominating contemporary design, injecting warmth without overwhelming.
The cup arrives in excellent unused condition, though collectors should note this is a functional piece meant to develop character through use. The textured surface will evolve subtly over time as the porous ceramic absorbs traces of sake, deepening the relationship between object and owner. No chips, cracks, or restoration. The glaze displays the characteristic irregularities of wood-fired ceramics—intentional imperfections that distinguish handwork from industrial production.
This represents an opportunity to acquire work from a maker whose pieces seldom appear in international markets. As Japanese contemporary ceramics gain recognition in Western auction houses and galleries, early-career acquisitions like this become increasingly astute. The artist continues working, yet pieces from this period demonstrate a confident hand finding its voice—always more desirable than later refinement.