Bizen Guinomi

This is a Bizen sake cup by the late Rokuro Nakamura, a traditional craftsman whom Bizen takes great pride in, and who was hailed as a master of sake vessel creation. The clay body is hard and well-fired, and based on its form, it appears to be a work from his early to middle period. This piece was fired during the time when Nakamura himself led the kiln firing process, and its appeal lies in the deep, brownish clay tone achieved by slowly firing high-quality rice-field clay. The interior reveals strong, bold wheel marks, vividly bringing to mind the image of a young Nakamura working the wheel with great vigor. Even in this early work, the way the wheel marks are left on the body and the undulating design of the rim remain almost identical to his later years, suggesting that he had already begun to establish his unique style by this time. (There is no dirt, but please note that there is slight signs of use on the inside of the rim, as this is an older work.) Signed wooden box (shiho-san style)
Diameter 6.6cm x Diameter 6.6cm x Height 6.1cm Rokuro Nakamura was born in Bizen City, Okayama Prefecture, in 1914.

He worked as a company employee until the end of the war, after which he studied under Toyo Kaneshige, from whom he learned kiln-firing techniques and more.

He later built the Rokuro Kiln and became independent in 1961.

In 1986, he was certified as a traditional craftsman and received the Okayama Nichinichi Shimbun Award in the same year.

In 1989, he was awarded the Order of the Paulownia Leaves, 7th Class, in the Spring Decorations.

He created works such as flower vases and tea utensils, with a focus on sake vessels, which were particularly well-received by ceramics enthusiasts.

He passed away in April 2004.