Antique Japanese CHINOIKE pottery cups #5107

For each:

Height: approx. 2.9 cm (1 9/64 in)

Width (Diameter): approx. 5.6 cm (2 13/64 in)

Weight: approx. 27 g

Condition: The rim of the cup in the top right-hand photo is damaged and some of the glaze has peeled off.

Chinoike-yaki was a phantom pottery art from the Meiji era, once located near the Chinoike Jigoku (Blood Pond Hell) hot springs in Beppu, Kyushu. The clay sourced from Chinoike Jigoku, rich in minerals, was renowned not only for pottery but also for producing ointments effective against skin diseases due to its high-quality soil. Chinoike Jigoku is one of Japan's oldest natural hells, best described as a pond of red, hot mud. This vivid red color stems from iron oxide and magnesium oxide, which naturally react under the earth's high temperature and pressure, causing the mud to erupt and settle, dyeing the entire pond red.

Each of these cups exudes a weighty and powerful presence, as if they embody the ancient forces of nature. The rough texture that spans their surfaces feels as though it has been modeled after the very strata of Chinoike Jigoku. The undulating surfaces evoke the natural beauty of organic forms, hinting at the depth of history embedded within them. The colors embrace the natural hues of the earth, with a slight sheen of glaze that adds depth and dimension to the pieces. The glaze has already started to silverise on this pottery, indicating that it is more than 100 years old.