Bizen Sake Cup

This is a Bizen sake cup by the visionary artist Juro Harada, who was described as having "frightening potential" while studying ancient Bizen pottery alongside the great Bizen scholar, Mr. Matasaburo Katsura. The clay, which shifts between mugwort and azuki-bean hues depending on the area, brings home the subtle differences in the earth's composition and seems to echo the sentiment that the expressive possibilities of Bizen clay are infinite. The powerful rising form created through the coil-building technique pairs perfectly with the foot rim, made by attaching a ring of clay. Every aspect of this piece—from the clay to the firing—reflects the seasoned stability and deep love for Bizen that one would expect from a master. Signed wooden box (shiho-san style)
Diameter 9.5cm × Diameter 8.9cm × Height 4.7cm After graduating from Meiji University and working in the corporate world, Juro Harada began his journey in ceramics in 1969. He built an anagama kiln in 1971 and a climbing kiln the following year, committing himself fully to pottery. Starting in 1975, under the guidance of the ancient Bizen expert Matasaburo Katsura, he visited old kiln sites to conduct research on ancient Bizen ware. In 1991, he built an anagama kiln on Amidayama in Ushimado. He produces jars, tea ceremony utensils, and leaf-shaped dishes, primarily using the coil-building technique, occasionally incorporating the potter's wheel. He has held numerous solo exhibitions in cities such as Tokyo and Osaka. In 1983, he held a joint exhibition at the National Museum of Ethnology in Australia with Kenji Funaki of Fushina ware. He received the Japan Ceramic Society Award in 2000. In 2002, his work was exhibited at 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.