Bizen tokkuri (sake bottle)

This is a Bizen sake flask from an earlier period by the prodigious talent Harada Shuroku, who was hailed as "fearsome" while studying Old Bizen alongside the great Bizen scholar, Matasaburo Katsura. The flask is paired with a matching sake cup; the maker's marks are "Roku" (六) on the flask and "W" on the sake cup. The piece features the signature light-blue-tinged *kase-goma* (stony sesame glaze) instantly recognizable as Harada Shuroku’s work, combined with intense scorched markings, allowing one to enjoy subtle, untouched color variations amidst the bold aesthetic. The overall earthy texture with its metallic gold sheen is another quintessential characteristic of Shuroku’s work, with the faintly shimmering clay appearing as if it were coated in copper. (Please note that as an earlier work, there are some signs of use.) Signed wooden box (shiho-san style)
Flask: Rim 3.7cm x Body 9.5cm x Body 9.1cm x Height 13.0cm, Capacity 320cc
Sake cup: Diameter 6.3cm x Diameter 6.2cm x Height 4.8cm After graduating from Meiji University and working in the corporate world, Harada Shuroku began his path in pottery in 1969. He built an *ana-gama* kiln in 1971 and a climbing kiln the following year, committing himself fully to the craft. From 1975, under the guidance of Old Bizen researcher Matasaburo Katsura, he visited old kiln sites to study Old Bizen. In 1991, he built an *ana-gama* kiln in Amidayama, Ushimado. He produces jars, tea ceremony utensils, and leaf-shaped plates, primarily using the coil-building technique, occasionally incorporating the potter's wheel. He has actively held solo exhibitions in cities such as Tokyo and Osaka. In 1983, he held a two-person exhibition with Kenji Funaki of Fushina ware at the National Museum of Australia. He received the Japan Ceramic Society Award in 2000. In 2002, his work was exhibited and acquired for the opening commemorative exhibition of the Museum of Modern Ceramic Art, Gifu. In 2005, his work was acquired by the New Orleans Museum of Art.