{"product_id":"p5884","title":"Bizen ware teacup","description":"This is a Bizen ware tea cup by the late Toyo Kaneshige, the first Living National Treasure and the great restorer of Bizen ware.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nGiven that the potter's seal features a relatively short \"To,\" this piece is believed to have been created during his later years, around 1955.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nHe carefully selected only the finest, top-tier Bizen clay for this piece, intentionally using portions with higher concentrations of small stones and sand to achieve a rustic, textured quality.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nThe clay texture is truly mesmerizing, as one would expect from a master like Toyo Kaneshige. Based in a soft, bright brownish hue, it features a beautiful, intricate gradation of amber and scarlet tones.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nThe foot features a subtle scarlet *hidasuki* (fire cord) pattern. The grid of lines across the slightly lighter-toned clay creates an exquisite aesthetic that makes you want to turn the cup over and admire it again and again.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nIts substantial, generous form is also wonderful; despite being a tea cup, the work possesses a captivating, almost bewitching charm.\n\nAppraisal box to follow (please note that it will take some time before shipping).\u003cbr\u003e\nDiameter 8.4cm x 8.3cm x Height 10.1cm\n\nToyo Kaneshige (1896–1967, born in Inbe, Bizen City) was born the eldest son of the kiln master Baiyo Kaneshige, a branch of the Kaneshige family, which is one of the six traditional Bizen pottery families.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nHe began his pottery training under his father and rose to prominence for his handmade teapots (*hohin*).\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nFrom the Taisho period through the early Showa period, he conducted extensive research into kiln loading, firing techniques, and traditional clay preparation, successfully recreating the clay texture of Momoyama-period Bizen ware in 1930. From around 1932, he began using a potter's wheel and focused his efforts on creating tea ceremony ceramics.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nHe deepened his friendships with Handeishi Kawakita, Toyozo Arakawa, and Kyusetsu Miwa, and was further influenced after the war by Rosanjin Kitaoji and Isamu Noguchi, which expanded the breadth of his artistry.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nHaving breathed new life into Bizen ware, which had been in decline since the Edo and Meiji periods, he is known as the \"restorer of Bizen ware\" for his achievements.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nIn 1954, he was recognized as a holder of an Important Intangible Cultural Property by Okayama Prefecture, and in 1956, he became the first individual to be designated a holder of a nationally designated Important Intangible Cultural Property—commonly known as a Living National Treasure—for Bizen ware.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nIn 1964 and 1966, he was invited to teach as a summer instructor at the University of Hawaii.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nIn 1967, he performed a pottery demonstration for Emperor Showa and Empress Kojun during their visit to Bizen.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nHe passed away in 1967.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nMajor awards and honors: Chugoku Culture Award, Sanyo Shimbun Award, Okayama Prefectural Culture Award, Medal with Purple Ribbon, Order of the Rising Sun, Fourth Class, and others.","brand":"金重陶陽","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46618015400033,"sku":"5884","price":200000.0,"currency_code":"JPY","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0654\/9916\/8865\/files\/5884.jpg?v=1790231133","url":"https:\/\/tourakuen.myshopify.com\/en\/products\/p5884","provider":"川口陶楽苑","version":"1.0","type":"link"}