Bizen Beer Drinker

This Bizen beer cup is the work of the late Rokuro Nakamura, a master craftsman of Bizen ware and a man celebrated as a god of sake vessel creation. It is a beautiful piece characterized by a stunning orange gradation that perfectly evokes the colors of a sunset. While it appears cylindrical, it features a subtle bulge in the center that, combined with the slightly pronounced wheel marks, provides a comfortable grip. Chilling the cup before use will dampen the orange clay, making its beauty stand out even more. Signed wooden box (double-slatted lid)
Diameter 7.8cm × Diameter 7.7cm × Height 11.7cm Until the end of the war, Rokuro Nakamura worked for a company, but in 1945, he began his apprenticeship under Living National Treasure Toyo Kaneshige to hone his technical skills, eventually establishing his own Rokuro kiln in 1961. He preferred to create sake vessels like tokkuri (sake bottles) on the potter's wheel. Using slab-building techniques, he also produced hobin (teapots), kyusu teapots, and tea bowls. His style was simple and rustic, full of wild character; as an artist of unglazed stoneware, he placed great importance on the firing process and dedicated himself to kiln loading, which determines the quality of the finished pieces. He was recognized as a master traditional craftsman in 1986, the same year he received the Okayama Nichinichi Shimbun Prize. In 1989, he was awarded the Order of the Blue Paulownia Leaves in the Spring Decorations. He passed away in April 2004.