Bizen Beer Mug

This is a brand-new Bizen beer mug, freshly removed from the kiln by Takashi Soga, an artist who challenges the beauty of the past by recreating the environment in which ancient Bizen ware was fired. To replicate the style of the Old Bizen period, he avoids the use of firebricks and other modern materials, firing his pieces in a kiln that defies modern conventional wisdom regarding thermal efficiency. Consequently, the work transcends contemporary aesthetics, displaying an exquisite texture of clay that rivals that of ancient Bizen. By obtaining high-quality rice field clay—the same type favored by the master potters of Imbe—and firing it slowly and thoroughly in his unique, unconventional kiln, he has created a piece with an exposed clay surface that radiates a subtle, refined luster. The rich, dense quality of the clay, apparent precisely because it is used in its pure, unadorned state, possesses an evocative elegance that photos and words cannot fully capture—a sublime and mellow clay texture that will leave any Bizen aficionado coveting it for their own collection. Paper box
Diameter 7.0cm × 6.9cm × Height 11.3cm Takashi Soga was born in Tokyo in 1984. He studied under Jun Isezaki in 2009 and built his own kiln in Kuku, Bizen City, in 2012. He became independent in 2013 and began his career as a ceramic artist.