Low Sided Mug by Nobuhiro Hashiguchi

These mugs are by the veteran Kasama ceramicist Nobuhiro Hashiguchi.

Hashiguchi works principally in the Oribe, green glaze style.  But this is frequently contrasted with geometric patterns, sometimes contributed by his wife, and ceramic collaborator Atsuho.  His forms are often also bold, with extravagant handles and shapes.  Never losing their sense of balance, Hashiguchi's ceramic skill is visible throughout.

These mug forms have diameters of around 9.5cm, and heights around 8cm.  They weigh around 300g.

About Nobuhiro Hashiguchi

On a hill overlooking green rice fields, veteran Kasama potter Nobuhiro Hashiguchi works in the rich leafy shade of the Oribe glaze.  This is a colour associated with classic Japanese teaware, although Hashiguchi has it appear in many contexts.  Patterns that are also classic, such as the ichimatsu chequerboard motif or the tilted lines of yoroke-jima appear within Hashiguchi’s work, but like his colour palette, never overwhelm it with a sense of tradition.  “I wanted to make something delicate, but this Oribe, this green, somehow reached out.  It’s a strong colour… that seemed to act as a guide”.  His journey to this style, and from his hometown of Nagasaki to this hill in Kasama - was one of accidental discovery.  Indisputable throughout was Hashiguchi’s skill as a potter, and with the individuality of his thin black stripes and thick green patterns he is both emblematic of Kasama, and unlike anyone else working there.