Bizen ware teacup

This is a Bizen tea cup by Rokuro Nakamura, a master craftsman of Bizen ware and renowned as a god of sake vessel making. The clay features a distinct reddish hue that identifies it as a work of Nakamura at a glance, allowing you to savor the essence of his "sweet" firing technique, for which he was celebrated as a master of sake vessels. Its substantial, large form makes it enjoyable for tea as well as shochu. Because it was fired slowly at a low temperature, the clay is "sweet," meaning its color will continue to evolve as you use it. Signed wooden box (two-way slat)
Diameter 8.9cm × Diameter 8.7cm × Height 9.6cm Rokuro Nakamura worked as a company employee until the end of the war, but in 1945, he began training under Living National Treasure Toyo Kaneshige, honing his skills before establishing his own Rokuro Kiln in 1961. He preferred creating sake vessels such as sake bottles on the potter's wheel. Using the slab-building technique (tatara), he also crafted pouring bowls, teapots, and tea bowls. His style was rustic and wild; as a creator of unglazed stoneware, he valued the firing process and devoted great effort to the kiln-loading process, which determines the quality of the work. He was named a Master Craftsman in 1986 and received the Okayama Nichinichi Shimbun Prize the same year. In 1989, he was awarded the Order of the Blue Paulownia Leaves. He passed away in April 2004.