This Shino-yaki (志野焼) yunomi tea cup by Masuyama-gama (升山窯) is offered as a meaningful piece for a Kintsugi restoration project. Rich in character and history, the cup beautifully embodies the expressive spirit of traditional Mino ware, where texture, spontaneity, and imperfection are embraced as part of the ceramic’s life.
The surface is covered in a vivid orange feldspar glaze with soft white areas emerging naturally through the firing process, creating the bold, organic patterns characteristic of classic Shino-yaki. Its richly textured finish and warm tones give the piece a strong visual presence even in its damaged state.
The cup has been broken and carefully gathered together, with all known fragments well collected and temporarily held in place for reference. Rather than diminishing its beauty, the fractures create an opportunity for renewal through Kintsugi—the Japanese art of repairing ceramics with lacquer and gold, transforming breakage into part of the object’s continuing story.
Once restored, the flowing repair lines would beautifully complement the dynamic glaze patterns already present on the surface, making this an especially rewarding piece for collectors, ceramic artists, or admirers of wabi-sabi aesthetics.
