Bizen sake cup

This is a Bizen sake cup 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, he avoids the use of modern materials such as firebricks, firing in a kiln where modern common sense regarding thermal efficiency does not apply; consequently, it exhibits an exquisite, authentic texture that transcends modern aesthetics and approaches the quality of Old Bizen itself. Aiming for his signature style of kiln alteration (yohen), the piece is fired intensely, layering fiercely scorched ash (haikaburi) over a viscous, chocolate-like clay texture that could arguably be called Old Bizen itself. Furthermore, the straw placed during firing has melted over the ash glaze into a vitreous substance, creating a beautiful luster that acts as a marvelous accent amidst the matte kiln alteration. The clay texture is as magnificent as the intense kiln alteration, with a surface where fine particles have emerged to sensitively capture the flow of the flames; at the edges of the kiln alteration, it reveals a viscous, melting brownish-red and reddish-purple clay, while in the areas shielded from direct flame, it offers a diverse and profound display of color, including orange gradients. Signed wooden box (shiho-san)
Diameter 6.3cm × Diameter 5.9cm × Height 5.5cm 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.