Hidasuki Sake Cup

This is a new Hidasuki sake cup by Makoto Kaneshige, who inherited the Maruyama Kiln as the eldest son of Sozan Kaneshige and captivates many with his harmony of delicate, elegant clay texture and powerful form. This piece exhibits a magnificent clay quality typical of Makoto Kaneshige, who has been gathering the finest Bizen clay since his father Sozan's time. It was fired in a special electric kiln over the same duration as a wood-fired kiln, breathing life into the theory of Toyo Kaneshige, who likened his pottery to a newborn and the kiln to a mother's womb. The smooth, moist surface features a perfect moxa-leaf color—neither too bright nor too dark—and the slowly fired Hidasuki displays an exquisite hue with refined shades of orange. The oval-shaped cup fits perfectly between the index finger and thumb, reflecting the brilliant skill of Makoto Kaneshige, who is highly regarded in contemporary ceramics as a master of sake vessels.

View Makoto Kaneshige's blog post Includes signed wooden box (shiho-san style)
Diameter 9.5cm x 8.7cm x Height 4.0cm Makoto Kaneshige is the eldest son of Intangible Cultural Property holder Sozan Kaneshige. After graduating from the Faculty of Agriculture at Kyoto University in 1969, he began his path in ceramics under his father. He became independent in 1979. He primarily creates tea ceramics using a potter's wheel and is known for his deep, rich firing technique. He strives to eliminate unnecessary ornamentation, focusing on channeling his soul directly into the clay. He rarely enters public exhibitions, preferring to focus his efforts on solo exhibitions, which he holds energetically every year at department stores in Okayama, Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Kyoto, Hiroshima, Fukuoka, and Kumamoto. In 1995, he held a solo exhibition in Munich, Germany, and in 1997, he participated in the Bizen Ware Paris Exhibition.