Hello everyone, how are you all doing?Today, I would like to introduce a very rare piece that has just arrived.It is a 'Hidasuki' (fire-cord) sake cup by Toyo Kaneshige, but in fact, it was fired in an electric kiln belonging to Sozan Kaneshige.Toyo Kaneshige passed away in 1967, and it was in 1966 that Sozan Kaneshige completed his electric kiln firing method.What could Toyo Kaneshige have been thinking when he witnessed the great achievement of the younger brother who had walked the path of pottery alongside him through times of hardship? This is something we can never truly imagine.Until then, Toyo Kaneshige’s Hidasuki was typically fired in a climbing kiln, resulting in a clay surface with a slightly reddish-brown hue, but this piece exhibits the beautiful, translucent white skin characteristic of electric kiln firing.Within that, a subtle, faint yellowish tint touches the surface, with a delicate Hidasuki pattern draped across it, almost like the lips of a maiden.It is a very cliché expression, but I feel that this sake cup is not the type from which you simply "drink" sake by putting it to your lips, but rather one that you "kiss" to have the sake transferred to your mouth.Another reason I feel this way relates to the quality of the clay, which differs from that used by Sozan Kaneshige.Sozan Kaneshige's Hidasuki clay contains a certain amount of sand, which in turn adds a moderate roughness and strength to the surface.Furthermore, as he carves with his spatula, the stone particles react and move, leaving their traces in the clay surface, which is one of the charms of Sozan’s work.However, with this sake cup by Toyo Kaneshige, the surface feels as though a finger would glide right over it—or rather, it creates the illusion that your finger might come away covered in clay dust.Even though it has been fired, it looks as if it hasn't been yet, feeling almost like soft human skin.Looking at the carving of the foot, one imagines that he felt no resistance against the spatula, either visually or tactually.Potter's clay is soft, highly plastic, and has a strong image of flexibility, but when you insert a spatula or your finger, that impression changes entirely.You can feel the subtle texture of fine stone particles invisible to the eye through the spatula or your fingertips, and the more force you apply, the more it seems to push back; it does not allow itself to be handled easily.With that experience in mind, when I look at the area around the foot of this Hidasuki sake cup by Toyo Kaneshige, I am astonished; the carving is such that it looks as though the spatula was simply sucked into the clay.It is a light and truly natural-looking foot, as if the clay were peeling itself away effortlessly, much like a skilled chef performing 'katsuramuki' (rotary peeling) on a daikon radish, where it seems as though there was a slit between the skin and the flesh from the start.My guess is that he used the highest grade of 'Kannon-do' clay, typically reserved for tea bowls.Some time ago, while speaking with a customer, the topic of "the merits and demerits of Hidasuki" came up.After the completion of electric kiln Hidasuki firing, the only part that became widely disseminated was the "firing by electric kiln," while the true essence—that it was a "Hidasuki firing in an electric kiln that approaches the Momoyama period"—was left behind.Consequently, the image of it being a cost-cutting, mass-production method became fixed, and I feel that the image of Hidasuki itself has been greatly diminished as a result.Regarding costs, the firing method devised by Sozan Kaneshige uses a custom-made electric kiln with a duct, requiring the addition of small pieces of firewood during the firing process.Furthermore, because it requires the same duration of firing as a climbing kiln, the electricity costs alone are said to be higher than those of a traditional climbing kiln.Of course, spending more doesn't necessarily guarantee a better result.However, I wanted to spread the word, if only a little, that the essence of Hidasuki is not a cheap firing method.This Hidasuki sake cup is one I would especially like those who do not care for electric kiln Hidasuki to see.It will be on display in the store during the Bizen Pottery Festival, so please come and take a look.
It is a very cliché expression, but I feel that this sake cup is not the type from which you simply "drink" sake by putting it to your lips, but rather one that you "kiss" to have the sake transferred to your mouth.
Another reason I feel this way relates to the quality of the clay, which differs from that used by Sozan Kaneshige.
Sozan Kaneshige's Hidasuki clay contains a certain amount of sand, which in turn adds a moderate roughness and strength to the surface.
Furthermore, as he carves with his spatula, the stone particles react and move, leaving their traces in the clay surface, which is one of the charms of Sozan’s work.
However, with this sake cup by Toyo Kaneshige, the surface feels as though a finger would glide right over it—or rather, it creates the illusion that your finger might come away covered in clay dust.
Even though it has been fired, it looks as if it hasn't been yet, feeling almost like soft human skin.
Looking at the carving of the foot, one imagines that he felt no resistance against the spatula, either visually or tactually.
Potter's clay is soft, highly plastic, and has a strong image of flexibility, but when you insert a spatula or your finger, that impression changes entirely.
You can feel the subtle texture of fine stone particles invisible to the eye through the spatula or your fingertips, and the more force you apply, the more it seems to push back; it does not allow itself to be handled easily.
With that experience in mind, when I look at the area around the foot of this Hidasuki sake cup by Toyo Kaneshige, I am astonished; the carving is such that it looks as though the spatula was simply sucked into the clay.
It is a light and truly natural-looking foot, as if the clay were peeling itself away effortlessly, much like a skilled chef performing 'katsuramuki' (rotary peeling) on a daikon radish, where it seems as though there was a slit between the skin and the flesh from the start.
My guess is that he used the highest grade of 'Kannon-do' clay, typically reserved for tea bowls.
Some time ago, while speaking with a customer, the topic of "the merits and demerits of Hidasuki" came up.
After the completion of electric kiln Hidasuki firing, the only part that became widely disseminated was the "firing by electric kiln," while the true essence—that it was a "Hidasuki firing in an electric kiln that approaches the Momoyama period"—was left behind.
Consequently, the image of it being a cost-cutting, mass-production method became fixed, and I feel that the image of Hidasuki itself has been greatly diminished as a result.
Regarding costs, the firing method devised by Sozan Kaneshige uses a custom-made electric kiln with a duct, requiring the addition of small pieces of firewood during the firing process.
Furthermore, because it requires the same duration of firing as a climbing kiln, the electricity costs alone are said to be higher than those of a traditional climbing kiln.
Of course, spending more doesn't necessarily guarantee a better result.
However, I wanted to spread the word, if only a little, that the essence of Hidasuki is not a cheap firing method.
This Hidasuki sake cup is one I would especially like those who do not care for electric kiln Hidasuki to see.
It will be on display in the store during the Bizen Pottery Festival, so please come and take a look.