Bizen Guinomi

This is a slightly earlier Bizen guinomi (sake cup) by the brilliant eccentric Harada Shūroku, a master who studied old Bizen alongside the great contributor to the Bizen tradition, Matasaburo Katsura, who famously remarked that Harada’s talent was "frightening." The light, thin, cylindrical body and the "beta-giri" (flat-cut) foot offer an intriguing aesthetic distinct from the heavy, thick pieces for which Harada is typically known. Regarding the firing, however, it showcases the hallmark of his work: an intense, thoroughly fired surface that exhibits beautiful *haikaburi* (ash-covered) kiln transformation. While it retains the dynamic, old-Bizen-style firing, the cup is light, thin, and easy to handle—a well-balanced finish that anyone, including women, can appreciate. (Please note that while there is almost no sign of use, this is an earlier work.) Signed wooden box (shiho-san style)
Diameter 5.1cm × Diameter 4.7cm × Height 6.0cm After graduating from Meiji University, Shūroku Harada worked for a company before beginning his career in pottery in 1969. In 1971, he built an ana-gama (tunnel kiln), followed by a climbing kiln the next year, and devoted himself fully to the craft. From 1975, under the guidance of Bizen scholar Matasaburo Katsura, he visited ancient kiln sites to study old Bizen pottery. In 1991, he built an ana-gama in Amidayama, Ushimado. He creates jars, tea ceremony utensils, and leaf-shaped dishes, primarily using the coil-building method, sometimes incorporating the potter's wheel. He has held numerous solo exhibitions in Tokyo, Osaka, and elsewhere. In 1983, he held a two-person exhibition at the National Museum of Ethnology in Australia with Kenji Funaki of Fushina ware. He received the Japan Ceramic Society Award in 2000. His works were exhibited at and acquired by the Museum of Modern Ceramic Art, Gifu, for its opening commemorative exhibition in 2002, and were acquired by the New Orleans Museum of Art in 2005.