Vintage item, never used. A refined vintage Hagi-yaki 萩焼 yunomi (湯呑) by the 11th-generation Saka Kōraizaemon (十一世 坂高麗左衛門, 1912–1981), bearing the artist’s 韓峯 signature.
The cup has a tall, gently cylindrical form with the subtle irregularity characteristic of handmade Hagi ware. Its surface is covered in a soft milky-white glaze with delicate blush-pink tones, creating the warm, almost skin-like appearance for which Hagi ceramics are especially admired.
The 11th-generation Saka Kōraizaemon (十一世 坂高麗左衛門, 1912–1981) was an important Japanese ceramic artist and the 11th head of the historic Saka Kōraizaemon family, one of the most significant lineages in the history of Hagi-yaki.
Born in 1912 in Yamaguchi Prefecture, he initially pursued painting rather than pottery, studying at the Teikoku Art School in Tokyo, now Musashino Art University. He later worked as an art teacher at junior-high and high-school level, giving him a strong foundation in drawing, composition and visual expression before entering the world of ceramics.
He left his teaching career and began training in pottery under his father-in-law, gradually mastering the techniques and aesthetic traditions of the Saka kiln before succeeding to the hereditary title.
This yunomi beautifully reflects the spirit of wabi-sabi (侘寂): simplicity, asymmetry, natural material and an appreciation for surfaces that evolve through time and use. Hagi ware is also famous for Hagi no nanabake (萩の七化け), or the “seven transformations of Hagi,” referring to the way tea can gradually enter the fine crazing and pores of the glaze, subtly changing the vessel’s appearance over the years.
Size: 7 x 7 x 8cm
