Bizen sake cup

This is a Bizen sake cup by the late Rokuro Nakamura, a master traditional craftsman of whom Bizen is proud, and who was hailed as the god of sake vessel making. According to his eldest son, Shin, this piece dates from around the time his father was sixty—the period when the unique style that defines the current image of Rokuro’s work began to emerge. It is a work that serves as a prototype for the Bizen sake cups typically associated with Rokuro, featuring characteristic movement at the rim and a foot-trimming style executed with a truly fresh touch. The wheel marks, which show such powerful "uneri" (undulation) that one might mistake it for hand-coiled pottery, are also fascinating; combined with the overall thickness of the body, this piece possesses an exquisite tactile quality that can only be found in his early works. The interior and one side of the exterior display a soft scarlet hue that promises to make sake look excellent, and the piece is sure to offer the kind of enjoyment that comes with use and maturation typical of the Nakamura family’s work. The other side features a very fine, deep green *kase-goma* (dry sesame glaze), making the piece full of highlights. Although there is no formal certificate (kiwamegaki), it has been appraised by his eldest son, Shin. (*Please note that while there are no signs of use or stains, this is a vintage piece.*) Original signed wooden box (shiho-zan) with lid
Diameter 7.2cm x Diameter 7.1cm x Height 5.6cm Rokuro Nakamura worked as a company employee until the end of the war, but in 1945 he began studying under the Living National Treasure Toyo Kaneshige to hone his skills, eventually establishing his own kiln in 1961. He preferred to create sake vessels like tokkuri (sake flasks) on the potter's wheel, though he also worked with slab-building techniques to create *awabim* (sake pourers), teapots, and tea bowls. His style was simple and wild; because his work was unglazed *yakishime* pottery, he valued the firing process and put great effort into kiln loading, which determined the quality of his pieces. He was named a Master Traditional Craftsman in 1986, the same year he received the Okayama Nichinichi Shimbun Award, and he was awarded the Order of the Blue Paulownia Leaves in the spring of 1989. He passed away in April 2004.