Gakuyō Tokkuri
Shingu Sayaka
Description
Shingu Sayaka 新宮さやか
Japan, born 1979
Gakuyō Guinomi ("Calyx" Sake Cup) (left)
Gakuyō Tokkuri ("Calyx" Sake Bottle) (right)
Reiwa era (2019–present)
2020s
Mixed clay with glaze slip
Gift of Richard Anderson, GO2024.9.7
and GO2024.9.37
Shingu Sayaka creates delicate vessels from thin shapes resembling
flower petals, a motif that suggests impermanence, ephemerality,
and fleeting beauty to the artist. To convey this meaning, she often
references a poem by the ninth-century legendary court beauty,
Ono no Komachi, in which she mourns the passing of time (→).
Shingu calls this vessel shape a calyx, which is a collection of
sepals that protect a flower in bud. Here, black pistils and stamens
peek out between the petals. As these vessels are meant for serving
and drinking Japanese rice wine, the user literally pours and
drinks from a flower cup.
The colors of flowers
Have all vanished from my sight
As I sit in vain
Looking at the rains
That sweep over my past life
(Translation by Janice Katz)
Displayed alongside matching Gakuyō Guinomi ("Calyx" Sake Cup).
(Japanese Gallery Rotation, Summer 2025)
Physical Description:
A delicate vessel with a narrow next and square body. Leafy shapes in grey and white decorate the exterior, and drops of silver that resemble mercury splatter the top. It is accompanied by a pale periwinkle cloth with a red stamp and a wooden box with dark purple ties.
Usage Rights:
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