Bizen Sake Cup

This is a Bizen *shinogi* (faceted) *guinomi* (sake cup) by the prodigious talent Juroku Harada, who was described as a "fearsome talent" after studying old Bizen pottery alongside the great Bizen benefactor, Katsura Matasaburo. It was crafted with a thick body before the clay was carved away; the marks left from tearing away the clay are remarkably powerful. The swirling finger marks in the interior and the artist’s trademark *tsuke-kodai* (applied foot) suit the form perfectly. The slightly scorched, granular *goma* (ash glaze) has partially shifted to a pale green, presenting the distinctive scenery characteristic of Harada’s Bizen work. Original signed wooden box (with *shihosan* cross-bracing lid)
Diameter 6.7cm × Diameter 6.6cm × Height 6.3cm After graduating from Meiji University, Juroku Harada worked as a company employee before beginning his career in pottery in 1969. In 1971, he built an *ana-gama* (tunnel kiln), followed by a *noborigama* (climbing kiln) the following year, and dedicated himself fully to ceramic art. Beginning in 1975, under the guidance of antique Bizen researcher Matasaburo Katsura, he visited ancient kiln sites to study old Bizen. In 1991, he built an *ana-gama* on Amidayama in Ushimado. He produced jars, tea utensils, and leaf-shaped dishes, primarily using the *himo-zukuri* (coiling) technique, with some use of the potter's wheel. He held active solo exhibitions in cities such as Tokyo and Osaka. In 1983, he held a two-person 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 exhibition. His work was also acquired by the New Orleans Museum of Art in 2005.