A tall, faceted cup rises above a deeply opened sculptural foot. Pale Hagi glaze covers most of the body, interrupted by charcoal-toned ridge lines and a broad blush-pink plane on the reverse. The irregular rim and arched base openings keep the vertical form visibly carved rather than mechanically built.

Kaneta Masanao is an eighth-generation Hagi ceramist whose training in sculpture led him away from wheel-thrown symmetry. He named his kurinuki method in 1989: a dense block of clay is shaped from the outside and carved open from within. The high-footed format makes the architectural consequence of that method especially clear.

This work is organised around vertical lift. The upright body holds its mass firmly, while the openings cut into the foot allow light and space to pass beneath it. White and blush surfaces soften the geometry, and the dark seams make the transitions between planes legible.

We selected this cup for the balance it achieves between height and physical weight. The raised base does not make the vessel delicate; it gives the carved body a stronger stance. The restrained pale face and warmer reverse also create a complete visual sequence without relying on decorative imagery.

From the front, the cup appears quiet and almost monochrome. Turned gradually, it reveals a warmer pink plane, darker ridges and the carved underside. That contrast gives the work a strong vertical silhouette at a distance and substantial material detail at close range.