Bizen Hidasuki Sake Cup

This is a Bizen Hidasuki sake cup by the late Rokuro Nakamura, a master traditional craftsman who was the pride of Bizen and celebrated as the god of sake vessel making. Created during the peak of his career—just before his final years—it perfectly captures his mature technique and masterful touch. The vibrant, clear scarlet of the hidasuki highlights the translucent white clay, while the white background, in turn, makes the fiery scarlet stand out; it is a magnificent piece with an endless, captivating beauty. The unique rim, flared in three directions to combine ease of use with a refined texture, is the ultimate solution arrived at by a legendary drinker who devoted over half a century to the appreciation of sake. (There is almost no sense of use, but please note that this is a pre-owned work.) Signed wooden box (shiho-san)
Diameter 7.5cm × Diameter 7.5cm × Height 5.4cm Rokuro Nakamura worked as a company employee until the end of the war, when he began his training under Living National Treasure Toyo Kaneshige in 1945. He established his own Rokuro Kiln in 1961. He preferred creating sake vessels like tokkuri on the potter's wheel, but also crafted houbin teapots, kyusu teapots, and tea bowls using the slab-building technique. Known for his rustic and wild style, he valued the firing process essential to unglazed stoneware and focused heavily on the kiln-loading process, which determines the quality of a piece. He became a certified traditional craftsman in 1986, the same year he received the Okayama Nichinichi Shimbun Award, and was awarded the Order of the Blue Paulownia Leaves in the 1989 Spring Decorations. He passed away in April 2004.