Bizen Yohen Sake Bottle

This is a newly fired Bizen sake bottle by Makoto Nakamura, the eldest son of the legendary Bizen pottery master Rokuro Nakamura, and a celebrated artisan in his own right, renowned for his sake vessels and tableware. Utilizing the expertise in sake ware craftsmanship inherited from his father, he has created this *kabu* (turnip-shaped) sake bottle featuring a magnificent *yohen* (kiln change). The bulbous *kabu* form—the foundation of the Nakamura-style *henko* (flattened) bottle—is designed so that when held by the neck, the bottle seamlessly integrates with the palm of the hand. This exceptional piece showcases a deep, charred *haikaburi* (ash-covered) *yohen* glaze, with prominent raised textures that contrast beautifully with the mellow, reddish clay body that remains clearly visible. There is an anecdote about the haiku poet Jiro Ando, a friend of Rokuro Nakamura, who would always specifically request pieces with kiln flaws to ensure he was getting the best-fired work; this bottle, with its rugged, raised ash-covered surfaces and kiln-fused *dosenbo* clay fragments, is a striking piece that evokes that very legend. Signed wooden box (shiho-san)
Rim 3.9cm × Body diameter 11.0cm × Body diameter 11.0cm × Height 8.9cm, Capacity approx. 310cc Makoto Nakamura was born as the eldest son of Rokuro Nakamura and began training under his father in 1971, where he mastered the fundamentals and refined his techniques. To further study the firing methods of Living National Treasure Toyo Kaneshige, he spent ten years assisting with and learning from the kiln firings of Michiaki Kaneshige. He established his own studio in 1975. His work focuses primarily on tea ceramics and tableware, as well as flower vases, sake bottles, and sake cups. He actively holds solo exhibitions across Japan, including in Tokyo, Okayama, and Nagoya.