Tsuboya Ware by Arakaki Isao Tea Cup Pair — Iron-Painted Fish Motif

A pair of Tsuboya-ware teacups by Isao Arakaki (1945–2018), a celebrated Okinawan potter recognized as one of Japan's "Contemporary Master Craftsmen" for his work in the Tsuboya tradition.

Each cup is thrown with a flared, gently faceted body, finished in a rich copper-red exterior glaze deepening into a dark iron-brown edge at the rim. The interior, glazed in a warm ochre-tan tone, carries Arakaki's signature bold, carved/painted fish motif in iron-black — one of the artist's recurring subjects alongside floral designs, rendered here with confident, calligraphic brushwork rather than fine detail.

A narrow band of grey-green glaze separates the red body from the unglazed, sandy stoneware foot, and the recessed base of each cup bears an impressed character mark consistent with the potter's stamp. The two cups are closely matched in form and palette but hand-thrown individually, showing the minor variation typical of studio-made Tsuboya work — pieces prized for blending everyday utility with artistic expression rooted in Okinawan culture.

Details:

• Artist: Isao Arakaki (1945–2018), Tsuboya ware, Okinawa, Japan — designated a Contemporary Master Craftsman

• Form: Pair of flared, faceted teacups on a short footring

• Glaze: Copper-red exterior with dark iron-brown rim; ochre-tan interior glaze

• Decoration: Bold iron-black fish motif to the interior of each cup, a signature Arakaki subject

• Base: Unglazed sandy stoneware foot, impressed maker's mark

• Condition: No visible chips; check unglazed foot edges and rim for wear; glaze pooling and speckling are characteristic, not damage

• Quantity: Pair (sold together)

• Dimensions: approx. rim diameter 6.8 cm, height 4.5 cm