Bizen Guinomi

This is an earlier work of Bizen sake cup by the prodigious talent Harada Juroku, who was called "fearsomely promising" while researching old Bizen alongside the great benefactor of Bizen, Matasaburo Katsura. The quintessential profound molding of Juroku-Bizen, the kiln-fired scenery, and the design of the applied foot—which possesses a somewhat pleasant imbalance—all merge into one, allowing you to fully savor the charm of Juroku-Bizen. Among the myriad of Bizen wares, it is no exaggeration to say that the unique greenish or light blue-tinged sesame glaze is found only in the works of Harada Juroku, and it draws in all who behold it. After building it up thickly from clay coils, the inner and outer surfaces were boldly scraped away with a spatula, resulting in a rugged piece with the presence of a stone block. The "nuke" (unfired areas) are also meticulously finished with golden hues, allowing you to feel the body and soul of Harada Juroku in every aspect of the clay and firing. Please enjoy the peeling of the clay surface and the rough crack shown in photo 7 as part of the landscape. (*Please note that while there is almost no sign of use, this is an earlier work.) Signed wooden box (shiho-san)
Diameter 8.3cm × Diameter 7.5cm × Height 6.5cm After graduating from Meiji University, Harada Juroku worked for a company before beginning his pottery career in 1969. He built an ana-gama kiln in 1971 and a climbing kiln the following year, devoting himself fully to ceramics. From 1975, he studied ancient Bizen by visiting old kiln sites under the guidance of the Bizen researcher Matasaburo Katsura. In 1991, he built an ana-gama kiln on Amidayama in Ushimado. He creates jars, tea ceremony utensils, and leaf dishes, primarily using the coil-building technique, with some use of 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 Ethnology in Australia. In 2000, he received the Japan Ceramic Society Award. In 2002, his work was exhibited at and acquired by the Museum of Modern Ceramic Art, Gifu, for its opening commemorative exhibition. In 2005, his work was acquired by the New Orleans Museum of Art in the United States.