{"product_id":"p5242","title":"Bizen-yaki Katakuchi Sake Cup","description":"This is a Bizen-yaki katakuchi (spouted) sake cup by the great Toyo Kaneshige, the first Living National Treasure and the restorer of the Bizen pottery tradition. It bears the \"Tsuchi'\" (土') potter's mark, dating it to a period when he was gradually transitioning from creating hand-modeled pieces to wheel-thrown work. As a late-period \"Tsuchi'\" piece finished on the wheel, its large, bold form—generous enough to easily accommodate one's nose—is truly majestic and impactful. While the katakuchi design is charming, the finish is exquisitely meticulous, as one would expect from Toyo Kaneshige, showcasing the superb craftsmanship of a master, particularly in the sharp and swift execution of the foot. The piece features a sophisticated landscape of sangiri (oxidized\/reduced firing) and koge-goma (scorched sesame ash glaze) characteristic of his later \"Tsuchi'\" period, with a particularly lovely interior where a strong, reduction-fired orange hidaski (fire cord) pattern contrasts against a gray surface.\n\nBox identified by Kosuke (with sliding lid) \u003cbr\u003e\nDiameter 8.4cm including spout × 7.5cm diameter × 6.6cm height\n\nToyo Kaneshige (1896–1967, born in Imbe, Bizen City) was born the eldest son of Baiyo Kaneshige, a kiln master from a branch of the Kaneshige family, one of the six traditional Bizen pottery families. \u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nHe began his pottery career apprenticing under his father and rose to prominence for his handmade tea pots (hohin).\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nFrom the Taisho era through the early Showa era, he conducted extensive research into kiln packing, firing techniques, and traditional clay preparation, successfully recreating the clay texture of Momoyama-period Bizen in 1930. Around 1932, he began working with the potter's wheel and focused his efforts on creating tea ceremony ceramics.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nHe deepened his friendships with Handeishi Kawakita, Toyozo Arakawa, and Kyusetsu Miwa, and after the war, he expanded his artistic scope through the influence of figures such as Rosanjin Kitaoji and Isamu Noguchi.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nHe breathed new life into Bizen pottery, which had been in decline since the Edo and Meiji periods, and for this achievement, he is known as the \"Restorer of Bizen Pottery.\"\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nIn 1954, he was recognized as a holder of an Important Intangible Cultural Property of Okayama Prefecture, and in 1956, he became the first person to be named a holder of a nationally designated Important Intangible Cultural Property for Bizen pottery, commonly known as a Living National Treasure.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nIn 1964 and 1966, he was invited to serve as a summer lecturer at the University of Hawaii.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nIn 1967, he performed a pottery demonstration for the Emperor and Empress Showa during their visit to Bizen.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nHe passed away in 1967.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nMajor awards and honors include the Chugoku Culture Award, the Sanyo Shimbun Award, the Okayama Prefecture Culture Award, the Medal with Purple Ribbon, and the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette.","brand":"金重陶陽","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46617981780065,"sku":"5242","price":380000.0,"currency_code":"JPY","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0654\/9916\/8865\/files\/5242.jpg?v=1790230793","url":"https:\/\/tourakuen.myshopify.com\/en\/products\/p5242","provider":"川口陶楽苑","version":"1.0","type":"link"}