Bizen sake cup

This is a Bizen sake cup by Kosuke Kaneshige, the leader of the Kaneshige lineage and son of the legendary Toyo Kaneshige, a Living National Treasure who revitalized Bizen ware. Featuring a light ash-covered (haikaburi) finish with subtle hints of soft scarlet (hi-iro), this piece possesses an understated elegance characteristic of the Kaneshige family's work. The quality of the clay, inherited from Toyo Kaneshige, exudes a visceral sense of vitality, offering a depth of character unmatched by any other. This clay quality is also evident in the interior, and the melting, lustrous appearance when in use seems as though the life force of the earth itself is infusing the sake, enhancing its flavor. Original signed box (shiho-san) included.
Diameter 6.6cm x Diameter 6.5cm x Height 6.1cm Kosuke Kaneshige is the third son of Living National Treasure Toyo Kaneshige. He graduated from the Tokyo University of the Arts with a degree in sculpture in 1968 and completed his master's degree in sculpture at the same institution in 1970. He began exhibiting ceramic works in 1975, and after serving as a lecturer at Tokai University's School of Letters, he returned home in 1977. He built his own climbing kiln in 1982. He creates a wide range of works, including objets d'art, tea utensils, vases, tableware, and sake vessels. In 1991, he created the ceramic wall mural "Light and Wind" for the Yasuda Fire and Marine Insurance building in Okayama. He received the Japan Ceramic Society Award in 1994 and exhibited at the Bizen Ware Paris Exhibition in 1997. He holds solo exhibitions in various locations, including Tokyo and Osaka. In 2012, he was designated a holder of an Important Intangible Cultural Property by Okayama Prefecture.