Hidasuki Beer Drinker

This is a Hidasuki beer tumbler by Kaneshige So, who inherited the Maruyama Kiln as the eldest son of Kaneshige Sozan. He captivates many with his harmony of delicate, elegant clay texture and powerful form. The piece is crafted from the relatively coarse, sandy clay that So often uses for his tableware, and the vibrant Hidasuki (fire-cord) technique passed down from his father, Sozan, is applied over the clean and refined Mogusa clay. The clay texture, produced in his custom-made Maruyama electric kiln—complete with fine stones and tiny black spots from mineral components—possesses a singular atmosphere and grace. The original diamond-shaped mouth, a design So himself favors, creates a sharp form and an exceptionally clean drinking edge. (There is a significant iron eruption on the interior, but this does not affect usage.) Signed wooden box (two-way braced)
Diameter 7.2cm x 7.1cm x Height 13.1cm Kaneshige So was born in Okayama Prefecture in 1945 as the eldest son of Kaneshige Sozan. After graduating from the Faculty of Agriculture at Kyoto University in 1969, he began his path in ceramics under the tutelage of his father. He became independent in 1979. He primarily focuses on tea ceramics thrown on a potter’s wheel, and is known for his deeply expressive firing techniques. He strives to eliminate unnecessary decoration, dedicating himself to channeling his soul directly into the clay. He rarely enters public exhibitions, preferring to focus his creative energy on solo exhibitions, which he holds energetically every year at major department stores in cities including Okayama, Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Kyoto, Hiroshima, Fukuoka, and Kumamoto. In 1995, he held a solo exhibition in Munich, Germany, and in 1997, he exhibited at the Bizen Ware Paris Exhibition. He was awarded the Okayama Prefecture Cultural Award in 2019.