Soft Light Guinomi Sake Cup

In Soft Light Guinomi Sake Cup, Seto ware artist Taruta Hiroshi explores the gentle dialogue between light and shadow. The guinomi sake cup is shaped with care and coated in a gentle celadon tone, giving it an airy, graceful character. The small vessel carries an airy, tranquil presence, its porcelain surface animated by a rhythm of elongated and shorter lines that appear to drift across the cup. The openings here are softly rounded along both edges of the porcelain, giving the surface a mellow tactile quality without any sharp definition. These incisions are placed with a deliberate irregularity, suggesting the quiet movement of soft light as it shifts and fades. 

The technique Taruta applied, known as hotarude—literally “firefly technique”—traditionally involves carving intricate openings in porcelain and coating them with a translucent glaze. This allows light to pass through the vessel while maintaining a seamless surface, creating points of illumination reminiscent of fireflies glimmering in a silk-dark night.

Beyond the intricacy of the carving, the glaze plays an essential role in shaping its luminous character. Taruta began working with the glaze during his apprenticeship and continued to refine its formulation by carefully adjusting glaze composition and firing conditions, achieving a balance of color and translucency. The porcelain glows softly while preserving the clarity of the carved lines.

Small and delicately balanced, this sake cup rests comfortably in the hand, inviting a moment of contemplation. As the cup is slowly turned, light drifts across the rounded openings and glides along the porcelain surface, appearing and fading in gentle intervals. This subtle play of brightness reveals the vessel’s tender textures and flowing lines, allowing its radiance to emerge little by little.

Taruta Hiroshi

Taruta Hiroshi is a Seto ware artist specializing in hotarude, an openwork technique in which cutouts are carved in clay, then filled with translucent glaze before firing. Working with porcelain and pale celadon glaze, Taruta thus creates landscapes of light with each delicate incision. He brings an innovative approach to his work, seeking out new modes of expression as he pushes the boundaries of hotarude. His elegant vessels foster interactions between space and light that bring a sense of wonder and quiet mystery.

Seto Ware

Made in and around Seto City in Aichi Prefecture, Seto ware encompasses a wide range of ceramics that reflect centuries of craftsmanship and innovation. As one of Japan’s Six Ancient Kilns (Rokkoyo), the Seto region holds a distinguished place in the country’s ceramic heritage. It was also a pioneer in porcelain mass-production, and its widespread use gave rise to the word setomono—a term still used today to refer to ceramics in general.

Remarkable for its stylistic breadth, Seto is one of the few regions in Japan where both stoneware and porcelain are made. From simple everyday tableware to more refined pieces, Seto ware continues to shape the rhythm of daily life with creations that balance tradition and creativity.