Bizen ware plate

This newly fired Bizen plate is a latest work by Takashi Soga, who challenges the beauty of antiquity by recreating the same environment in which Old Bizen (Ko-Bizen) was fired. To replicate the style of the Old Bizen era, no firebricks or similar modern materials were used; consequently, the kiln was fired under conditions that defy modern logic regarding internal thermal efficiency. Because of this, the piece displays an exquisite "clay flavor" (tsuchiaji) that transcends contemporary aesthetics and approaches the quality of Old Bizen. The mellow scarlet hue is not the result of under-firing, but the natural coloration of the clay achieved through high-temperature firing, brilliantly reproducing the intense scarlet skin characteristic of the Old Bizen style. The fire-cord (hidasuki) markings are dyed black in response to the hard firing, creating a magnificent finish reminiscent of the scenery seen on large Old Bizen bowls, where black fire-cords are draped over a red base. Furthermore, the entire surface features an unusually fine, ink-colored matte sesame glaze (kase-goma), and the smoky kiln-change (yohen) is so striking it makes one wonder if the piece acted as an air filter, absorbing the smoke. It is a masterpiece that serves as a renewed testament to the singularity of Soga-sensei’s kiln, showcasing kiln-changes rarely seen in contemporary Bizen ware. Paper box
Diameter 20.9cm x 19.2cm x Height 4.2cm Takashi Soga was born in Tokyo in 1984. He studied under Jun Isezaki in 2009 and built his own kiln in Kuku-i, Bizen City, in 2012. He became independent and began his career as a potter in 2013.