Bizen Sake Cup

This Bizen sake cup is by Sozan Kaneshige, a master potter loved by many for his works, who began his career as an assistant to his older brother, the legendary potter Toyo Kaneshige. Sozan Kaneshige remained in the shadow of his brother Toyo, refusing to sell his own work until he was over fifty years old; this piece was created around the age of sixty, when his work had begun to gradually emerge into the public eye. Featuring a base of slightly bluish, matte "kase-goma" (dry sesame glaze) with layers of yellow and charred sesame ash, the piece was slowly fired and matured by the flames within the kiln. The matte sesame base on the front and the deep, vintage wine-like purple clay texture around the exterior were formed by a reduction atmosphere, while the inner foot and the interior, which were fired as the kiln transitioned into an oxidation atmosphere, exhibit softer, brownish and reddish-purple clay tones, demonstrating how Sozan masterfully drew out the diverse colors inherent in the clay through a long, careful firing process. It is a truly luxurious work that condenses a vast array of colors—roughly three types visible on the front exterior, interior, and base, but in reality, even more—into a single sake cup. The widely flared foot, which allows one to identify the work as Sozan’s at a glance, is initially surprising for its sheer boldness, yet it is a testament to his masterful artistry that the more you look at it, the more familiar it becomes, until it feels as though this form is the most natural one.

View blog post about Sozan Kaneshige Signed wooden box (Shihozan style)
Diameter 7.2cm × Diameter 6.6cm × Height 6.3cm Sozan Kaneshige (1909–1995) was the younger brother of Living National Treasure Toyo Kaneshige, and worked with him until around 1951. He excelled at Momoyama-style hidaski (fire-cord) patterns and was known as a leading authority on tea ceramics. In 1964, he built the Maruyama kiln in the eastern suburbs of Okayama City, and in 1966, he caused a sensation by announcing his Momoyama-style hidaski works created using an electric kiln. In 1982, he moved to Imbe and built the Ushigami-shita kiln, and in 1983, he was designated as a Prefectural Important Intangible Cultural Property holder. He received a Commissioner for Cultural Affairs Award, the Okayama Prefecture Cultural Award, and the Order of the Sacred Treasure, Fourth Class. He passed away in 1995.