Bizen Guinomi

This is a Bizen sake cup by Junpei Kaneshige, the eldest son of Kosuke Kaneshige, the leading figure of the Kaneshige lineage. Staying true to the Kaneshige tradition of clay preparation, this piece is crafted from clay refined entirely by hand without the use of a pug mill, and aged for several decades before use. The exquisite, melting scarlet hue conveys the superior quality of the clay; despite being an unglazed *yakishime* piece made solely from earth, it possesses a vibrant, fruit-like coloration. This sake cup features a rare *kase-yohen* (matte kiln change) landscape, of which only a few are produced in any single firing; it is a masterpiece that combines the bark-like appearance characteristic of *kase-goma* (matte sesame glaze) with the cooled, solidified lava-like appearance typical of *yohen*. It is a sake cup that allows you to fully savor the true pleasure of Bizen ware: the way it changes with use and the joy of "nurturing" it over time. Signed wooden box (shiho-san)
Diameter 6.1cm × Diameter 5.8cm × Height 5.5cm Junpei 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 apprenticed under his father, Kosuke Kaneshige.