Bizen Sake Cup

This is a Bizen sake cup fresh from the kiln by Takashi Soga, who challenges the beauty of antiquity by recreating the same environment in which old Bizen was fired. To reproduce the style of the old Bizen era, no firebricks or similar materials are used; consequently, the kiln is fired in a way that defies all modern common sense regarding internal thermal efficiency. Because of this, it displays an exquisite clay quality that transcends modern aesthetics and approaches that of old Bizen. Great attention has been paid to the quality of the clay, utilizing high-grade rice field clay thought to have been used in Momoyama-period pottery, resulting in a remarkable tactile quality characterized by a fine texture, the eruption of iron, and a unique luster. The surface, smooth and worn as if it had endured for centuries, exhibits a shiso-red hue that never tires the eye and is truly magnificent. The lightly scattered yellow sesame glaze is also wonderful, further enhancing the wabi-sabi aesthetic of the high-density Momoyama-style craftsmanship. Signed wooden box to be provided later (please allow some time for shipping).
Diameter 8.1cm x 7.8cm x Height 3.2cm Takashi Soga was born in Tokyo in 1984. He studied under Jun Isezaki in 2009 and built his own kiln in Kuku-i, Bizen City, in 2012. He became independent and began his pottery career in 2013.