Bizen Sake Cup

This is a Bizen sake cup by Tadashi Yoshimoto, a devoted pupil of the Living National Treasure Kei Fujiwara, whose philosophy and style he inherits. It is a rare Hidasuki sake cup fired in a climbing kiln, a technique not often seen in Mr. Yoshimoto’s work. The pale bluish body features vibrant, unbroken Hidasuki markings, which, combined with the fine-grained, matte-textured goma (ash glaze), create a restrained yet deeply moving aesthetic. The body is fired to a high degree of hardness, ringing with a bell-like sound at the slightest touch, a testament to the intensity of the firing. (Please note that while this is an earlier work, there are absolutely no signs of use.) Original signed wooden box (two-way crossbar)
Diameter 7.3cm x Diameter 7.3cm x Height 6.0cm Tadashi Yoshimoto became a live-in apprentice to the Living National Treasure Kei Fujiwara in 1964 and studied under him for 19 years until Mr. Fujiwara's passing. He established his own kiln in Shizutani, Bizen City, in 1975. His very first firing resulted in selections for the Japan Traditional Art Crafts Exhibition, the Okayama Prefectural Art Exhibition, and the East Chugoku Branch Exhibition, and he became a full member of the Japan Kōgei Association in 1986. He boasts an exceptional ceramic career, with selections and awards in the Okayama Prefectural Exhibition, East Chugoku Branch Exhibition, Toshinkai Exhibition, Chunichi International Ceramic Art Exhibition, Asahi Ceramic Art Exhibition, Japan Ceramic Art Exhibition, Ceramic Art Biennale, and the Yakishime Ceramic Public Exhibition. He has also been active in holding solo exhibitions since 1977 at department stores in Okayama, Fukuyama, Mihara, Hiroshima, Tottori, Yonago, Kumamoto, Himeji, Kobe, Osaka, Kyoto, and Tokyo, all of which met with great acclaim. In 1988, he was honored with the Kaneshige Toyo Award, and in 2007, he was designated as a Holder of Important Intangible Cultural Property of Okayama Prefecture.