Bizen Sake Cup

This is a Bizen sake cup by the highly decorated and world-renowned Intangible Cultural Property holder, Zenji Urakami. The "Ao-Bizen" (blue Bizen) achieved through strong reduction firing—a signature technique of Zenji and his son Mitsuhiro Urakami—creates a chic atmosphere. The piece is thin-walled overall, excluding the foot, and its understated, elegant form perfectly complements the scenery of the Ao-Bizen. The rim has a comfortable width that fits well between the fingers, and the thin construction makes it extremely pleasant to use. It is also excellent that the foot is slightly thicker, providing a sense of stability. Signed box (shiho-san style)
Diameter 8.6cm × Diameter 8.5cm × Height 4.0cm Zenji Urakami (1914–2006) was born in Imbe and began his path in ceramics under the tutelage of Shunko Nishimura. In 1935, he became a student of Japan Art Academy member Seibo Kitamura to study sculpture, and also studied wood carving under Shin Naito, as well as drawing under Saburo Okada and Sakujiro Okubo. He excelled at creating lifelike animal figurines, bronze statues, and ceramic wall murals based on realism. His major works include the ceramic wall at Okayama Airport, the ceramic plaque of Meijin Oyama at the Kurashiki City Art Museum, the bronze bust of Toyo Kaneshige at the Bizen Pottery Museum, and the ceramic statue of Kojima Takanori in Tsuyama City. In 1973, his ox figurine won a gold medal at the Le Salon 300th Anniversary Exhibition. In the same year, he was designated as a holder of an Okayama Prefectural Important Intangible Cultural Property. He passed away in March 2006.
Awards: Recipient of numerous honors, including the Okayama Prefecture Cultural Award, Miki Memorial Award, France-Chagall Honorary Award, Medal with Dark Blue Ribbon, Order of the Sacred Treasure, Fifth Class, and the Grand Prize at the Salon de Paris exhibition, among many others / Member of the Prefectural Exhibition judging committee