Bizen sake cup

This Bizen sake cup is by the Living National Treasure Yu Fujiwara, who expanded his horizons beyond Japan to share the appeal of Bizen ware with the world. It features a style instantly recognizable as his own, with a raw, forthright quality that eschews mere technical trickery. Created during his youth, the piece features an azuki-bean-colored body with a subdued dark-brown hidaski (fire-cord) marking. The size falls somewhere between a small sake cup and a larger sake bowl, with a spacious interior that allows the aroma of the sake to expand. Original signed wooden box (with two-way crossbar lid)
Diameter 7.5cm × Diameter 7.4cm × Height 4.5cm Yu Fujiwara (1932–2001, born in Bizen City, Okayama Prefecture) was the eldest son of the Living National Treasure Kei Fujiwara. He adopted "simple, clear, and bold" as his motto for pottery, creating many vases and bowls, which earned him the nickname "Yu of the Vases." Influenced by Rosanjin Kitaoji, he was also skilled at creating tableware. Starting in 1972, he held a series of exhibitions, including the "100 Vases Exhibition," "Tokkuri (Sake Bottle) Exhibition," "100 Flowers Exhibition," and "100 Bowls Exhibition." He also created many large-scale reliefs and objects. He received the Japan Ceramic Society Award in 1967. In 1980, he was designated as a holder of an important intangible cultural property by Okayama Prefecture. In 1996, he became the first person in the world of ceramics to be designated a nationally recognized Living National Treasure, following in the footsteps of his father.
Major awards: Toyo Kaneshige Prize, Okayama Prefecture Cultural Encouragement Award and Cultural Award, Sanyo Shimbun Award, Chugoku Cultural Award, Minister of Education Award for Fine Arts, Academia Grand Prize for Art and Culture, and Medal with Dark Blue Ribbon.