IBA 04 — Sculptural tea cup
IBA 04 — Sculptural tea cup
A brown square informational card with red text explaining that the product is a handmade Japanese ceramic with a naturally porous clay body and color-changing properties when wet and dry.

IBA 04 — Sculptural tea cup

$240.00

Hand-built in Shizuoka, Japan, by acclaimed ceramicist Katsue Ibata. This cup is a singular, one-of-one work that bridges functional object and contemporary sculpture.

Reflecting Ibata’s multi-step firing and polishing process, this piece carries a tactile weight and a subtle metallic sheen across its sculptural handle. Intimately sized for focused tea sessions, it balances playful artistic form with everyday tea ritual.

It is a vessel for your daily sip and a standalone sculptural object that brings character to any display shelf or tea table.

Object Specifications

  • Form | Sculptural Tea Cup (1-of-1)
  • Colours | White, red, pink, and blue
  • Dimensions | W 13 × H 8.5 cm
  • Weight | 256 g
  • Capacity | 100ml
  • Material | Ceramic
  • Origin | Shizuoka, Japan

Shizuoka, Japan


With over 30 years of experience as a ceramic artist, Katsue Ibata works intuitively with clay, allowing bold and playful forms to emerge naturally from her hands. She sees clay as a cooperative material that records every movement and touch. Her works are solid and weighty, finished with distinctive surface treatments.

Using spontaneous black brush marks on white clay, or a gunmetal glaze made from motza, Ibata layers colour before firing and polishes the surface afterwards to reveal a brass-like sheen. Some pieces are fired up to four times, with red-toned works requiring more complex processes than black-toned ones.

Ibata shares her studio with her artist partner, who creates wood-based lacquerware. Now, as grandparents, they have continued to practice their respective crafts side by side for decades, travelling internationally and sustaining a lifelong commitment to making. This dedication has made them deeply respected figures, particularly among younger generations of artists.

Care
Avoid using a dishwasher or harsh detergents. Rinse with warm water after use and hand wash with a soft sponge when needed.

A note on handmade ceramics
Our artist teaware is handmade and may naturally develop subtle changes in colour and surface with use. This is part of the character and beauty of handmade ceramics. Some pieces have naturally porous clay bodies and may gradually darken in colour over time with regular use. This is a natural characteristic, not a defect, and one that many collectors appreciate.

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