Hello everyone, how are you all doing?
We have just received new works by Yuho Kaneshige,
and I would like to introduce a few of my recommendations from the collection.
For this firing, he aimed for "yohen" (kiln transformations) using a climbing kiln for the first time in a while,
so we have acquired pieces centered on sake vessels featuring "haikaburi" (ash-covered) kiln transformations and "kase-goma" (crusted sesame glaze).
Also, in tonight's website update at 8:00 PM, April 12th,
a sake bottle (tokkuri) from the younger days of Yuho Kaneshige's father, Sozan Kaneshige, will be available, so please take a look at that as well.
The Ibe Ushigamishita kiln is greeted by a magnificent large Old Bizen storage jar.
Yuho Kaneshige currently continues his pottery work at the Ibe Ushigamishita kiln left behind by his father, Sozan Kaneshige.
Whenever I visit, Yuho-sensei personally brews a cup of his original blended coffee,
and this coffee is exceptionally delicious—with a body and depth that even a coffee novice like myself can appreciate.
It seems he adjusted it many times with the coffee shop owner, which is characteristic of Yuho-sensei's strong attention to detail.
These are works created using a climbing kiln for the first time in over a decade.
I distinctly remember that when I met with Yuho-sensei last winter, he had a somewhat nervous expression, wondering how the kiln transformation would turn out after such a long time.
It has taken him over a decade to reach this point, having focused primarily on presenting works made with mountain clay before arriving at the "true Kaneshige" kiln transformations and kase-goma we see today.
I remember being truly struck when I first saw his mountain clay works.
Then, about two years ago, he "returned" to using field clay to present his unique style.
By intentionally placing the finest Bizen Kannon clay in saggers to avoid kiln transformation,
he drew out the various hues inherent in the clay onto the exposed surface.
Yuho-sensei, who has always sought to express a "view of life and death" through Bizen ware,
seems to me to have been searching for the life and vitality sleeping within the Bizen clay,
while simultaneously expressing the shadow of death that inevitably arises alongside the light of life.
In light of this, what is the significance of him intentionally returning to the kiln transformations of the traditional climbing kiln, which could be called the starting line of his pottery life?
When we first met, Yuho-sensei said with a slightly bashful look,
"I am very good at imitating Toyo and Sozan,"
"But, of course, I want to try making what I truly want to create."
That impression remains with me; even while speaking to us,
it was as if he were asking himself the questions,
repeating self-inquiry as if diving deeper and deeper within his own self.
Everyone has their own unique path—there are as many pottery styles as there are people,
and experiencing these is one of the joys of being a ceramics dealer,
but I felt that for Yuho-sensei, pottery is both a means of self-discovery
and a fundamental destiny—a proposition residing within his blood that must be unraveled.
Amidst this infinite questioning, by revisiting the Kaneshige family-style kiln transformations after over a decade,
perhaps Yuho-sensei has attained a new answer and, in turn, a new question.
Ibe Gourd-Shaped Sake Bottle
When you think of Yuho-sensei, you think of the gourd-shaped sake bottle, don't you?
This piece is very petite and slender, with a stunning, ethereal presence.
In contrast to its upright stance, the kiln transformation features a heat-infused scarlet color and black-silver ash coverage.
It possesses a dignified atmosphere like a miniature flower vase and could even be used for a single-flower arrangement.
Ibe Sake Cup (Guinomi)
This is a sake cup by Yuho-sensei, who is self-admittedly a lightweight when it comes to alcohol.
True to Yuho-sensei's reputation as a master of tea ceramics,
it has a highly refined atmosphere; rather than the playfulness or expanse often found in sake cups,
one feels a stillness and composure that converges inward, much like a tea bowl.
(Yuho Kaneshige / Ibe Gourd Sake Bottle, Ibe Sake Cup - Custom wooden boxes currently being made)
Gourd Sake Bottle size: diameter 6.8cm x diameter 6.7cm x height 13.0cm Capacity 120cc price: Sold
Sake Cup size: diameter 6.3cm x diameter 6.2cm x height 4.1cm price: Sold
For detailed images and further information on the works, please contact us below.
Tel 0869-67-2210 Fax 0869-67-2220
Email to Kawaguchi Tourakuen (Click to open your email client)