Bizen Beer Mug

This is a newly kiln-fired Bizen beer mug by Takashi Soga, an artist who challenges the aesthetic of the ancients by recreating the very same environment in which Old Bizen pottery was fired. To replicate the style of the Old Bizen era, he avoids the use of firebricks and other modern materials; instead, he fires his pieces in a kiln that defies modern conventional wisdom regarding thermal efficiency. Consequently, the work transcends contemporary beauty to reveal a superlative quality of clay that rivals that of Old Bizen. Using high-quality rice paddy clay—the same type favored by the master craftsmen of Imbe—each piece is painstakingly fired in this unique kiln until the artist is satisfied. The exposed surface of the clay exudes a subtle, luminous sheen, offering an exquisite texture. The rich, dense quality of the clay—a testament to its purity—possesses an evocative elegance that cannot be fully captured in photos or words; it is a superlative, mellow earthiness that will have Bizen enthusiasts salivating. Paper box
Diameter 7.4cm x 7.2cm x Height 11.2cm 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 began his independent career as a ceramic artist in 2013.