Bizen sake cup

This is a Bizen sake cup by Hisanaga Koide, who made his long-awaited debut after completing a lengthy apprenticeship under Juro Harada. It features a powerful flow of clay created through the coil-building technique, giving it a density that makes it feel as though you are holding a jar, despite its small size. The firing is intense; the piece was fired encased within another vessel to create the *hi-dasuki* (fire-cord) markings, while ash settled only on the rim, transforming the character of the clay into a rich, perilla-leaf purple. The soft, adzuki-bean-colored texture of the surface seems to beg for sake to be soaked into it to make it even smoother, promising excellent absorbency. (*Please note: There is a crack on the interior side caused by a stone inclusion, which does not affect use.) Signed wooden box (shiho-san style)
Diameter 7.8cm × Diameter 7.5cm × Height 6.0cm Hisanaga Koide was born in Amagasaki City, Hyogo Prefecture, in 1978. He became an apprentice to Juro Harada in 1997. In 2011, he became independent and built a climbing kiln in Ushimado-cho, Setouchi City, Okayama Prefecture. He fired his first kiln in 2013.