Bizen Sake Cup

This is a brand new Bizen sake cup, fresh from the kiln of Mr. Takashi Soga, who strives to achieve the beauty of antiquity by recreating the same environment in which ancient Bizen ware was fired. To replicate the style of the Old Bizen period, he avoids the use of refractory bricks and other modern materials, firing in a kiln where modern common sense regarding thermal efficiency does not apply. As a result, the piece transcends modern aesthetics to reveal a superb clay quality that rivals that of Old Bizen. The brownish surface features a subtle *hidasuki* (fire-cord) pattern; while it may appear plain at first glance, the surface exhibits a powerful vitality that seems to reflect Mr. Soga’s deep reverence for Old Bizen. The color, closer to deep crimson than standard *hidasuki*, exudes a refined sophistication, and its appearance against the crisp, wheat-colored surface is the very essence of Old Bizen *hidasuki*. The wheat-colored surface itself is marked by tiny black spots from the iron content, adding a touch of exquisite allure to its dry texture.

Read blog post Signed box to be provided later (please allow some time for delivery).
Diameter 7.8cm × Diameter 7.8cm × Height 3.6cm Mr. Takashi Soga was born in Tokyo in 1984. He studied under Mr. Jun Isezaki in 2009 and built his own kiln in Kuku-i, Bizen City, in 2012. He began his independent career as a ceramic artist in 2013.