Funaki order Kenji yunomi

A fine yunomi from Japanese master Funaki Kenji. The order hand-done decoration appears simple and uniform, until you settle in and contemplate each element. Soon, you're drawn into the subtle and unique characteristics of each stroke from his glazing brush, and a Zen garden of tranquil wonder engulfs you. This cup exemplifies the finest traditions of tea in its form, color and aesthetic, a direct line from your hand back through time to Hamada Shoji himself, channeled via his revered apprentice.

About Funaki Kenji:

Born in 1927 in Shimane prefecture, Funaki is a 5th-generation potter, who initially trained with his father, Michitada. He was immersed in the Mingei Movement led by Yanagi Soetsu and Kawai Kanjiro. To further his development he studied under the great Hamada Shoji in Japan, going on to win the Japanese Folk Crafts Museum Award in 1950. In 1967 he went to England to apprentice at the pottery of Bernard Leach. Internationally acclaimed potter Ken Mihara is among the many artists who trained under Funaki.

Funaki Kenji has won the Kokuga Association Award, Japan Folk Crafts Museum Award, Japan Ceramics Society Award and more. He has held solo exhibitions at various Mitsukoshi stores including Nihonbashi and Osaka. He is renowned for skills such as straw painting, finger painting, color glaze, and mud painting.