Bizen Guinomi

This Bizen sake cup is by the second generation Fujiwara Rakuzan, a master craftsman who was born as the third son of the legendary first generation Fujiwara Rakuzan and went on to create many masterpieces. The clay used was purified through water elutriation to remove impurities and small pebbles, and then fired in a salt kiln—a technique synonymous with Rakuzan—resulting in an Aobizen (blue Bizen) piece that, despite being Bizen ware, has a texture reminiscent of porcelain. The blue-gray surface is as smooth as if coated in glass, offering the user a delicate mouthfeel. The jar shape, a signature style for Rakuzan’s sake cups, is whimsical and gives the piece a uniquely nonchalant atmosphere, a departure from his intricately crafted works that often exude a sharp sense of tension. Signed wooden box (shiho-san style)
Diameter 6.6cm x Diameter 6.4cm x Height 4.8cm The second generation Fujiwara Rakuzan was born as the third son of the master craftsman, the first generation Fujiwara Rakuzan. He began studying pottery under his father at an early age and succeeded to the name Rakuzan II after his father’s passing in 1930. Highly acclaimed as "Rakuzan of the Tea Bowls and Incense Burners," he was designated a National Selected Preserved Technique Artist in 1948 and an Okayama Prefectural Important Intangible Cultural Property holder in 1954. He also received the Sanyo Shimbun Art and Culture Merit Award and the Order of the Rising Sun, Silver Rays. He passed away on September 3, 1996.