Bizen ware spouted bowl

This Bizen katakuchi bowl is the work of Takashi Soga, who challenges the beauty of antiquity by recreating the same environment in which Old Bizen was fired. To replicate the style of the Old Bizen period, he avoids the use of modern materials like refractory bricks, resulting in a kiln where modern common sense regarding thermal efficiency does not apply; consequently, it reveals an exquisite clay texture that transcends modern aesthetics and approaches that of Old Bizen. The deeply browned surface is adorned with tasteful hidasuki (fire-cord) markings, making this a masterpiece that, true to Soga-sensei’s love for Old Bizen, stirs a sense of wabi the longer one gazes upon it. A particular feature of this firing is the iron content that has erupted like beads of sweat from the entire clay surface; combined with the stone and mugwort-colored clay, it is as if the piece is a microcosm of the earth itself, allowing one to enjoy a magnificent landscape in the palm of one’s hand indefinitely. Despite its incredibly refined aesthetic, it is lightweight and easy to use, reflecting a craft that extracts the beauty of Old Bizen while fitting into modern life. Paper box
Diameter 15.1cm × Diameter 14.4cm × Height 7.2cm Takashi Soga was born in Tokyo in 1984. He studied under Jun Isezaki in 2009 and built his kiln in Kukui, Bizen City, in 2012. He became independent and began his pottery career in 2013.