Bizen Hisago Tokkuri

This is a Bizen gourd-shaped sake flask by Kosuke Kaneshige, the leader of the Kaneshige family and son of the great restorer of Bizen ware and Living National Treasure, Toyo Kaneshige. Rather than a traditional gourd shape, the form is a hybrid resembling a "katatsuki" (shoulder-pressed) style. The "kase-yoh-hen" scenery, featuring a well-balanced combination of matte sesame glaze (kase-goma), scarlet accents (hi-iro), and ash covering (haikaburi), showcases a delicate and austere aesthetic unique to unglazed pottery, leaving one to marvel at how such a diverse array of colors can be produced by clay and fire alone. The slightly tilted neck and constricted body make it very comfortable to hold, combining both design and functionality. Includes signed paulownia wood box (shiho-zan).
Mouth 3.5cm x Body diameter 10.0cm x 9.7cm x Height 14.0cm. Capacity approx. 400cc Kosuke Kaneshige is the third son of Living National Treasure Toyo Kaneshige. He graduated from the Sculpture Department of Tokyo University of the Arts in 1968 and completed his graduate studies there in 1970. He began exhibiting his ceramic works in 1975, and after serving as a lecturer at Tokai University's School of Letters, he returned to his hometown in 1977. He built his own climbing kiln in 1982. He creates a wide range of works, including sculptures, tea ware, vases, tableware, and sake vessels. In 1991, he created the ceramic mural "Light and Wind" for the Yasuda Fire & Marine Insurance Building in Okayama. In 1994, he received the Japan Ceramic Society Award. He exhibited at the Bizen Ware Paris Exhibition in 1997 and has held solo exhibitions in Tokyo, Osaka, and other locations. In 2012, he was designated as a holder of an Important Intangible Cultural Property by Okayama Prefecture.