Bizen Sake Cup

This Bizen sake cup is by the brilliant artist Juro Harada, a prodigy whom the great Bizen benefactor Matasaburo Katsura once described as "frighteningly talented" while they conducted research on ancient Bizen together. The surface has a gentle, fine-grained texture reminiscent of unbaked clay, so lifelike that one might imagine the soft scent of earth drifting from it as they caress it. A moderate *hi-dasuki* (fire cord) pattern is applied over a blackened body fired in a strong reduction atmosphere, designed to stand out subtly rather than overpower the piece. Because the surface is entirely free of ash, it is a delight to examine the artist’s finger marks and the nuances of his carving in such fine detail. Original signed box (shiho-san) included
Diameter 9.7cm (including spout) × 7.5cm × 4.6cm high After graduating from Meiji University and working in a corporate position, Juro Harada began his career in ceramics in 1969. He built an *ana-gama* kiln in 1971 and a climbing kiln the following year, committing himself fully to his craft. Starting in 1975, under the guidance of the ancient Bizen researcher Matasaburo Katsura, he traveled to ancient kiln sites to study historic Bizen ware. In 1991, he built an *ana-gama* kiln in Amidayama, Ushimado. He produces jars, tea ceremony utensils, and leaf-shaped dishes, primarily using the hand-coiling technique along with some potter’s wheel work. He has held numerous solo exhibitions in cities such as Tokyo and Osaka. In 1983, he held a two-person exhibition at the National Museum of Victoria in Australia alongside 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 exhibition of the Museum of Modern Ceramic Art, Gifu. In 2005, his work was acquired by the New Orleans Museum of Art in the United States.