Item Description A striking hand-worked art glass sake cup (guinomi) by the Japanese glass artist Tomoko Eguchi. The piece is made using her signature "熔壌ガラス" (molten/lava glass) technique, in which temple clay from Yakushiji-dera is fused into the glass body, producing an organic, richly textured surface. The exterior displays a shifting iridescent lustre in blue-grey, gold, pink and violet tones, with irregular metallic "leaf" or "wing" shaped patches breaking across the glossy black rim and footed base. The interior of the bowl is a deep, glossy black with subtle rainbow reflections. The cup sits on a small ringed pedestal foot and is signed on the underside of the base. The piece is accompanied by its original signed wooden storage box, inscribed "熔壌ガラス 冷酒盃 薬師寺土" with the artist's signature and red seal — confirming authenticity and the piece's place within her Yakushiji-clay glass series. Size Height: 7 cm Width: 6 cm Depth: 6 cm Weight 93 g / 0.093 kg Condition The cup is in good pre-owned condition with no major damage; light surface marks and faint scuffing consistent with careful handling are visible but not prominent. Comes complete with its original signed wooden box. Artist Profile Tomoko Eguchi (江口智子) was a Japanese studio glass artist born in Saga Prefecture. She graduated from the ceramics department of Kyoto College of Art in 1980 and subsequently trained at the Esaki Glass Design Institute. In 1981 she was a founding member of the Takatoo Studio Glass Center, and from 1985 she taught glass craft at Ikebukuro Community College while becoming a member of the Japan Studio Glass Association. She exhibited internationally, including at the Alabama International Glass Exhibition in Japan on multiple occasions, and won the Grand Prize at the Mayura Exhibition in 1990. In 1993 she became the second-generation successor of "Takatoo Glass," creating a large glass monument for the Shinshu Expo. She relocated her studio to Nagano Prefecture in 1994, took part in the Nagano Winter Olympics cultural program in 1998, and created outdoor glass sculpture works to mark the 400th anniversary of Japan-Korea exchange in 2000. A retrospective exhibition of her work was held at the Takatoo Art Museum in 2008. Eguchi passed away in 2017. NOITICE: The lot will be carefully packaged and sent by Japan Post, DHL or FedEx depend on the situation. It takes about 3 weeks to receive normally. Import duties, taxes, and charges are not included in the item price or shipping cost. These charges are the buyer's responsibility. Sometimes Customes or delivery company in your country contact you for Customs clearance via phone or email. Please make sure that you could answer the phone. If you don't, the parcel will return to me and it cost more double shipping fee for reshipping. I appreciate your cooperation.