Bizen sake bottle

This is a newly fired Bizen sake flask by Takashi Soga, an artist who challenges the aesthetic of antiquity by recreating the same firing environment used to produce Old Bizen. To reproduce the style of the Old Bizen period, he avoids the use of firebricks and other modern materials; consequently, the kiln operates outside the bounds of modern conventional wisdom regarding thermal efficiency. It is this very process that allows the work to transcend contemporary aesthetics and achieve an exquisite texture of clay that rivals that of Old Bizen. This sake flask allows the viewer to enjoy the natural, unforced scarlet of the *hima* (fire-marked) areas and the soft, delicate kiln transmutations that resonate with the natural beauty characteristic of Old Bizen from the early to mid-Muromachi period. The clay surface, featuring soft, natural *sangiri* (ash-covered) markings, possesses a unique luster approaching that of antique wares, and its depth—reminiscent of the "hiekareta" (chilled and withered) aesthetic beloved by tea masters of the past—is hard to believe is modern. It is crafted to be exceptionally lightweight, making it a perfect companion to enjoy and "nurture" while savoring sake over time.

View blog post Signed wooden box to be provided later (please allow some time for shipping).
Rim 3.3cm x Body 8.1cm x Body 8.0cm x Height 14.0cm, Capacity approx. 360cc Takashi Soga was born in Tokyo in 1984. He studied under Jun Isezaki in 2009 and built his own kiln in Kugu, Bizen City, in 2012. He became independent and began his pottery career in 2013.