Bizen sake cup

This is a Bizen sake cup by the prodigy Juro Harada, who was famously described as having a "terrifying future" by Matasaburo Katsura, a great contributor to Bizen pottery, while they studied ancient Bizen together. The body, formed quite thickly using the coil technique (himo-zukuri), is perfectly complemented by the wild and energetic applied base that has come to symbolize Juro's Bizen style. Due to its thick construction, the piece has directly received the full benefit of the flames, absorbing ash to create a rich, chocolate-colored surface. Holding it in your hand, you can feel a satisfying sense of weight; its rugged yet warm Bizen character makes its presence felt comfortably in your palm. Signed wooden box (shiho-san) included
Diameter 7.3cm x Diameter 7.1cm x Height 6.5cm After graduating from Meiji University and working as a company employee, Juro Harada began his pottery career in 1969. He built an ana-gama kiln in 1971 and a climbing kiln the following year, devoting himself fully to ceramic art. Beginning in 1975, under the guidance of ancient Bizen researcher Matasaburo Katsura, he visited ancient kiln sites to study old Bizen. In 1991, he built an ana-gama kiln at Amida-yama in Ushimado. He produces jars, tea ceremony utensils, and leaf-shaped dishes. While he uses the coil technique, he also utilizes the potter's wheel for some works. He has actively held solo exhibitions in cities such as Tokyo and Osaka. In 1983, he held a two-person exhibition at the National Museum of 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, to commemorate its opening. His work was also acquired by the New Orleans Museum of Art in the United States in 2005.