Bizen sake bottle

This is a Bizen sake bottle by the internationally renowned Intangible Cultural Property holder, the highly decorated Zenji Uragami. The charm of this piece lies in the exquisite atmosphere created by the contrast between the *nuke* (areas left unglazed by shielding) on the front and back. The *nuke* on the upper side, with its faint, hazy outline blending into the surrounding *goma* (ash glaze) that resembles a light dusting of snow, possesses a serene, majestic beauty, like a full moon rising over a snowy landscape. In contrast, the *nuke* on the lower side, with its shimmering, heat-haze-like outline and the bright color of the surrounding clay, displays a vibrant, dynamic, and heart-stirring beauty, reminiscent of the sun setting on the horizon. As a work that unites these two aspects of yin and yang, it is truly a profound and masterful creation.

With original signed wooden box (shiho-san style)
Rim diameter 3.5cm x Body diameter 8.5cm x Body diameter 8.5cm x Height 13.1cm, Capacity approx. 350cc

Zenji Uragami (1914–2006) was born in Imbe and entered the world of ceramics under the tutelage of Shunko Nishimura. In 1935, he became a student of Seibo Kitamura, a member of the Japan Art Academy, to study sculpture, and also studied wood carving under Shin Naito, and sketching under Saburo Okada and Sakujiro Okubo. He excelled in creating lifelike animal figurines, bronze statues, and ceramic wall murals based on realism. His major works include the ceramic wall at Okayama Airport, the ceramic plaque of Grandmaster Oyama at the Kurashiki City Art Museum, the bust of Toyo Kaneshige at the Bizen Pottery Museum, and the statue of Kojima Takanori in Tsuyama City. In 1973, his ox figurine won the Gold Medal at the Le Salon 300th Anniversary Exhibition. In the same year, he was designated as a holder of an Okayama Prefecture Important Intangible Cultural Property.
He passed away in March 2006.
Awards and honors: Okayama Prefecture Cultural Award, Miki Memorial Award, French Chagall Honorary Award, Medal with Dark Blue Ribbon, Order of the Sacred Treasure (5th Class), Grand Prix at the Salon de Paris Exhibition, and many others / Member of the Prefectural Exhibition Jury. This is a Bizen sake bottle by the internationally renowned Intangible Cultural Property holder, the highly decorated Zenji Uragami. The charm of this piece lies in the exquisite atmosphere created by the contrast between the *nuke* (areas left unglazed by shielding) on the front and back. The *nuke* on the upper side, with its faint, hazy outline blending into the surrounding *goma* (ash glaze) that resembles a light dusting of snow, possesses a serene, majestic beauty, like a full moon rising over a snowy landscape. In contrast, the *nuke* on the lower side, with its shimmering, heat-haze-like outline and the bright color of the surrounding clay, displays a vibrant, dynamic, and heart-stirring beauty, reminiscent of the sun setting on the horizon. As a work that unites these two aspects of yin and yang, it is truly a profound and masterful creation. With original signed wooden box (shiho-san style)
Rim diameter 3.5cm x Body diameter 8.5cm x Body diameter 8.5cm x Height 13.1cm, Capacity approx. 350cc Zenji Uragami (1914–2006) was born in Imbe and entered the world of ceramics under the tutelage of Shunko Nishimura. In 1935, he became a student of Seibo Kitamura, a member of the Japan Art Academy, to study sculpture, and also studied wood carving under Shin Naito, and sketching under Saburo Okada and Sakujiro Okubo. He excelled in creating lifelike animal figurines, bronze statues, and ceramic wall murals based on realism. His major works include the ceramic wall at Okayama Airport, the ceramic plaque of Grandmaster Oyama at the Kurashiki City Art Museum, the bust of Toyo Kaneshige at the Bizen Pottery Museum, and the statue of Kojima Takanori in Tsuyama City. In 1973, his ox figurine won the Gold Medal at the Le Salon 300th Anniversary Exhibition. In the same year, he was designated as a holder of an Okayama Prefecture Important Intangible Cultural Property.
He passed away in March 2006.
Awards and honors: Okayama Prefecture Cultural Award, Miki Memorial Award, French Chagall Honorary Award, Medal with Dark Blue Ribbon, Order of the Sacred Treasure (5th Class), Grand Prix at the Salon de Paris Exhibition, and many others / Member of the Prefectural Exhibition Jury.