Bizen ware sake cup

This is a new Bizen sake cup by Jumpei Kaneshige, the eldest son of Kosuke Kaneshige, the leading figure of the Kaneshige family. Adhering to the traditional Kaneshige method of clay preparation, this piece is crafted using clay refined entirely by hand without the use of a pug mill, and aged for several decades before use. The painstakingly prepared clay retains an elegant hue even amidst the intense firing that creates kiln-change effects, while the subtle yellowish "nuke" (uncovered areas) offers the rustic and soothing aesthetic characteristic of Bizen ware. Conversely, the kiln-change sections have been fired with great intensity, trusting in the quality of the clay; the embers that penetrated even into the interior of the cup have formed a remarkably deep and beautiful ash-covered kiln-change pattern. The design of this piece sits right between a standard sake cup and a wide, flat "hirahazuki" style cup, allowing the aroma of the sake to gently expand while the blue-silver shimmering interior beautifully reflects the color of the sake. Signed wooden box (shiho-san) included
Diameter 6.8cm × Diameter 6.6cm × Height 4.1cm Jumpei Kaneshige was born in Komaba, Tokyo, in 1972 as the eldest son of Kosuke Kaneshige. He graduated from the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at Waseda University in 1994. In 2000, he completed a graduate program in sculpture at Long Island University in New York, USA, and upon returning to Japan, he began his apprenticeship under his father, Kosuke Kaneshige.