Bizen gourd-shaped sake bottle

This is a Bizen gourd-shaped sake bottle by Junpei Kaneshige, the eldest son of Kosuke Kaneshige, the leading figure of the Kaneshige lineage. Rather than a gourd-shaped bottle in the literal sense, it has a curious charm, as if a shoulder-pushed sake bottle is doing its best to pull in its stomach—a quality that reflects Junpei-sensei’s earnest and uncompromising approach to Bizen ware. The well-fired ash glaze glows with a dull, metallic luster, which, combined with the "nuke" (unfired patches) that retain the raw vitality of the clay, creates a landscape characteristic of Kaneshige Bizen. True to Junpei-sensei's painstaking efforts to preserve the energy of the clay right up to the very edge of the rim, the lip, which resembles a pursed mouth, is exceptionally dynamic and magnificent. Signed wooden box to follow (please allow some time for shipping)
Rim 3.9cm x Body diameter 8.8cm x Body diameter 8.6cm x Height 15.0cm Junpei Kaneshige was born in Komaba, Tokyo in 1972 as the eldest son of Kosuke Kaneshige. He graduated from the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at Waseda University in 1994. In 2000, he completed a graduate program in sculpture at Long Island University in New York, USA, and upon returning to Japan, he studied under his father, Kosuke Kaneshige.