Bizen mortar

This is a Bizen mortar from an earlier period by the brilliant artist Juroku Harada, a prodigy who was told he had "frightening potential" while studying Old Bizen alongside the great benefactor of Bizen ware, Katsura Matasaburo. Said to be unbreakable even if thrown, the Bizen mortar has long been rooted in the lives of common people as a versatile vessel; this piece recreates that tradition with a rugged, archaic style. Even without special decoration, the powerful movement created by the coil-building technique and the rich, viscous color of the Bizen clay serve as the ultimate ornamentation. True to its traditional utility, it is a truly versatile vessel that can be enjoyed as a sake server, a serving bowl, or a vase. (Please note that this is an earlier work and shows slight signs of use.) Signed wooden box (shiho-san) included
Diameter (including spout) 15.7cm × Diameter 12.4cm × Height 6.5cm After graduating from Meiji University, Juroku Harada worked for a company before beginning his pottery career in 1969. He built an anagama kiln in 1971 and a climbing kiln the following year, committing himself fully to pottery. From 1975, under the guidance of Old Bizen researcher Matasaburo Katsura, he visited ancient kiln sites to study Old Bizen. In 1991, he built an anagama kiln on Amidayama in Ushimado. He produces jars, tea utensils, and leaf-shaped dishes, primarily using coil-building techniques, though he occasionally uses a potter's wheel. He has actively held solo exhibitions in cities such as Tokyo and Osaka. In 1983, he held a joint exhibition at the National Museum of Australia with Kenji Funaki of Fushina ware. He received the Japan Ceramic Society Award in 2000. In 2002, his work was exhibited and acquired for the opening commemorative exhibition of the Museum of Modern Ceramic Art, Gifu. His work was also acquired by the New Orleans Museum of Art in 2005.