Hello everyone, how are you all doing?
Summer is in full swing, and we are experiencing those sweltering, scorching hot days.
At times like this, one might want to arrange some muscat grapes, Pione grapes, or white peaches on a Bizen plate that has been quickly rinsed with water and left slightly damp.
Today, I would like to introduce two sake bottles (tokkuri) from the new collection by Yuho Kaneshige, which was fired this summer, that reveal two different facets of his artistry.
Although born into the Kaneshige lineage, Mr. Yuho continues to pursue a unique expression of clay, and while these two pieces are contrasting, both are symbolic of his work.
Both are the latest works fired this summer.
The one on the right is a work with a deep scarlet color and tasteful ash glaze (kase-goma) characteristic of the Kaneshige lineage.
In contrast, the one on the left is composed with an exposed clay surface and minimal ash, and by placing them side-by-side like this, one can see how truly contrasting they are.
While the obsession with Bizen clay—which could be called the destiny of his family—is at the root of his work, these two sake bottles represent polar opposite expressions. What they both have in common, however, is the "ultimate texture."
There is no way for me to convey this other than for you to pick up the actual pieces and experience them with the skin of your palms, and because I lack the vocabulary to capture this texture, this blog post has been given this title.
If I were to leave you with one word, it would simply be: "Please, come and hold the actual pieces."
They are currently on display at Kawaguchi Tourakuen, so if you are in the area, please come by and run your hands over them.
While the look and shape of pottery are important, the feel and surface texture are vital factors in the joy of ownership for items intended to be touched and used directly by humans.
Sometimes, just having an object in the palm of your hand can bring supreme happiness.
We often hear the phrase "polishing the rice" when critiquing sake, and the clay used for these pieces is, in fact, polished, gem-like clay; it brings as much joy as delicious sake, fine food, or wonderful tea.
Bizen Sake Bottle ①
This piece features fine ash deposits that make it identifiable as Kaneshige lineage at a glance.
The particles of ash adhered to the skin are so fine and dense that the piece even feels powdery in a good way.
The soft texture of the clay overlays this, allowing you to "compare the tastes" of two comfortable textures in your palm.
Its light, melancholic silhouette, reminiscent of a weeping willow, is truly characteristic of the elegant artist Yuho Kaneshige.
Bizen Sake Bottle ②
This is Yuho Kaneshige's top recommendation—it is not of the Kaneshige lineage style, but rather a "Yuho-style" piece.
While the other bottle has a subtle distortion—a hallmark of ceramic charm that leads to wabi-sabi—this piece has a symmetrical form, almost like a white porcelain vase.
Symmetry can often feel stiff, but with the addition of a superb texture, it has been elevated into a charming, full-blown "Yuho world" sake bottle that is neither old Bizen nor standard new work.
Since standard wheel-throwing wouldn't result in this shape, it involves immense, painstaking effort that belies its elegant silhouette.
(Yuho Kaneshige / Various New Bizen Sake Bottles)
Bizen Sake Bottle ① size: diameter 7.9cm × diameter 7.8cm × height 13.2cm price: Sold
Bizen Sake Bottle ② size: diameter 9.4cm × diameter 9.4cm × height 13.3cm price: Sold
For detailed images of the works, please inquire below.
Tel 0869-67-2210 Fax 0869-67-2220
Email to Kawaguchi Tourakuen (Clicking will open your email client)