Bizen Yunomi

This is a Bizen tea cup by Toyo Kaneshige, the first Living National Treasure and the great restorer of Bizen ware. While it features orthodox "goma" (sesame) ash glaze and earthy textures, its delicate color palette possesses a charm that instantly identifies it as the work of Kaneshige. The slightly tall, elegantly thin-walled form is accented by the sophisticated, withered beauty of an "ishihaze" (stone burst). The foot—steep on the outer edge and gentle on the inner, a characteristic trait of Kaneshige’s later years—is beautifully finished with fluid, expert knife work, and together with a single "hidasuki" (fire-cord) mark, captures the very essence of Kaneshige Bizen. Original wooden box (Nihō-zan type)
Diameter 7.7cm × Diameter 7.7cm × Height 10.0cm Toyo Kaneshige (1896–1967, born in Imbe, Bizen City) was the eldest son of Baiyo Kaneshige, from a branch of the Kaneshige family, one of the six traditional Bizen pottery lineages. He studied under his father and first gained acclaim for his handmade teapots (hōhin). Through extensive research from the Taisho to early Showa periods, he succeeded in recreating the earthy aesthetics of Momoyama-period Bizen. Around that time, he began using the potter’s wheel and focused his efforts on creating tea ceremony ceramics. He deepened his friendships with Handeishi Kawakita, Toyozo Arakawa, and Kyusetsu Miwa, and after the war, he expanded his artistic range through the influence of Rosanjin Kitaoji and Isamu Noguchi. For these contributions, he is known as the restorer of Bizen ware. He was the first Bizen potter to be designated a holder of an Important Intangible Cultural Property, and in 1964 and 1966, he was invited as a guest lecturer at the University of Hawaii summer session. In 1967, he performed a pottery demonstration for the Emperor Showa and Empress Kojun during their visit to Bizen.
Major awards include: Chugoku Culture Award, Sanyo Shimbun Award, Okayama Prefecture Culture Award, Medal with Purple Ribbon, and the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette.