Colored Bizen-ware Sake Bottle

This is a new colored Bizen sake bottle by Anjin Abe, an artist who possesses deep insight and a keen aesthetic sense regarding antique ceramics, and who creates one-of-a-kind works through his unique research and firing techniques. It is a masterful fusion of authentic Bizen firing techniques that rival ancient Bizen ware and the painterly sensibilities he cultivated as an oil painter, resulting in a piece that offers both the tactile joy of holding a ceramic object and the visual pleasure of admiring a painting. He has used red, yellow, and white pigments to depict a unique chicken with a somewhat dazed expression. The coloring, executed with an exquisite touch that is neither too precise nor too simple, maintains a perfect balance for being painted on a three-dimensional ceramic surface. On the other side, an incised arrowroot design extends into an indigo color reminiscent of the sky, before transitioning into a gold-leaf vine design without incisions, which is quite intriguing. When you begin to pour, it makes a pleasant "kok-kok-kok" sound, which then fades halfway through, shifting to a steady, smooth pour. Signed wooden box to follow (please allow some time for shipping)
Rim 3.0cm × Body Diameter 8.8cm × Body Diameter 8.2cm × Height 13.8cm; Capacity approx. 220cc

If you prefer to pay by credit card, please contact us as we will need to process the payment in multiple transactions. Anjin Abe was originally a Western-style painter. He collected ceramics as a hobby, but finding contemporary Bizen ware lacking, he began his pottery practice in 1972 to create pieces that satisfied his own standards. He frequently creates water jars, flower vases, flattened jars, bowls, sake bottles, and sake cups, all wheel-thrown and finished with a spatula. He bases his ceramic work on Momoyama-period antique Bizen and is highly particular about his firing process. He also engages in diverse expressive activities, presenting works that combine various materials and techniques, such as ceramics, lacquer, oil painting, and bronze (mixed media). He holds solo exhibitions energetically both in Japan and abroad, including in Tokyo, Osaka, New York, and Paris.