Bizen Tokkuri

This Bizen sake flask is by Takashi Soga, who challenges the beauty of antiquity by recreating the environment of the era when Old Bizen was fired. To replicate the style of the Old Bizen period, he avoids the use of modern refractory bricks, firing in a kiln where modern standards of thermal efficiency do not apply. As a result, the work possesses a superb clay texture that transcends modern aesthetics, rivaling that of Old Bizen itself. The base of the clay, with its reddish-brown hue, features eruptions of iron and fine stone inclusions, creating a character indistinguishable from Old Bizen. The *hidasuki* (fire-cord) markings also bear an ancient quality that seems impossible for a contemporary piece, with the deep, viscous crimson color permeating the clay in a way that is difficult to put into words. While this flask shines with the austere presence of an Old Bizen style, it has been crafted to be quite lightweight for ease of use, reflecting the artist's dedication to his work. Signed wooden box (shiho-san style)
Rim 3.8cm × Body diameter 8.8cm × Body diameter 8.8cm × Height 13.6cm Capacity approx. 440cc Takashi Soga was born in Tokyo in 1984. He studied under Jun Isezaki in 2009 and built his own kiln in Kuku-i, Bizen City, in 2012. He became independent and began his pottery career in 2013.