Bizen Hidasuki sake cup

This is a Bizen Hidasuki sake cup by the visionary artist Juroku Harada, a prodigy who was told he had "frightening potential" while studying ancient Bizen alongside the great Bizen scholar, Matasaburo Katsura. This is the first mortar-style (suribachi) sake cup Juroku-sensei has produced in some time; its coil-built form is both bold and meticulous, possessing the striking presence of a true miniature mortar. The pale pink hue of the clay body is crossed by thin yet distinct fire-cord (hidasuki) markings, creating a magnificent landscape of scarlet and pink. Perhaps it is the artist's deep expertise in ancient Bizen that gives his work such a compelling presence, making it a joy to simply display and admire. Signed wooden box (shiho-san)
Diameter 8.9cm × Diameter 8.3cm × Height 4.9cm After graduating from Meiji University and working in the corporate world, Juroku Harada began his journey in ceramics in 1969. He built an ana-gama kiln in 1971, followed by a climbing kiln the next year, and devoted himself fully to the craft. Beginning in 1975, under the guidance of ancient Bizen researcher Matasaburo Katsura, he traveled to old kiln sites to study historical Bizen pottery. In 1991, he built an ana-gama kiln on Amidayama in Ushimado. He creates jars, tea ceremony utensils, and leaf-shaped dishes, primarily using the coil-building method, with some use of the potter's wheel. He has held active solo exhibitions in Tokyo, Osaka, and elsewhere. In 1983, he held a two-person exhibition with Kenji Funaki of Fushina ware at the National Museum of Australia. He received the Japan Ceramic Society Award in 2000. In 2002, his work was exhibited and acquired by the Museum of Modern Ceramic Art, Gifu, for its opening commemorative exhibition. In 2005, his work was acquired by the New Orleans Museum of Art in the United States.