{"product_id":"p6489","title":"Bizen bowl","description":"This is a newly fired Bizen bowl by Takashi Soga, an artist who challenges the beauty of antiquity by recreating the same conditions under which Old Bizen pottery was fired.\u003cbr\u003e\nThis is his latest work, removed from the kiln in December 2021.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nTo replicate the kiln-firing style of the Old Bizen era, Soga does not use firebricks, which did not exist at the time; instead, he fires his works in an all-earthen kiln where modern firing conventions do not apply.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nThe earthen kiln itself acts as one massive piece of pottery, which is why the works possess an exquisite \"tsuchiaji\" (taste of the clay) that transcends modern aesthetics and approaches that of Old Bizen.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nIn Soga’s kiln, the kiln itself transforms with every firing, a characteristic that causes the finish of each piece to constantly evolve. In this work, the artist's signature understated \"hidasuki\" (fire-cord) surface abruptly shifts, with a charred-looking \"haikaburi\" (ash-covered) effect blanketing half of the vessel.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nAt first glance, it may appear scorched or sooty, but upon closer inspection, it reveals a moist luster, resembling a rain-slicked stone—a unique finish unparalleled by any other artist.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nThe center \"nuke\" (uncovered area) features a metallic, gilded hidasuki texture. The unique \"yohen\" (kiln-change) effect on the outer rim highlights the center, and when food is placed within, the colors of the dish are brought into sharp focus.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nThe kiln-change effect, which seems almost organic—as if it had been left on a riverbed for centuries—brilliantly recreates the ultimate \"kare-aji\" (withered beauty) sought by the potters of Old Bizen.\n\nNo box included\u003cbr\u003e\nDiameter: 19.6cm x 19.5cm, Height: 3.7cm\n\nTakashi Soga was born in Tokyo in 1984.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nHe apprenticed under Jun Isezaki in 2009, and in 2012, he built an all-earthen kiln that uses no firebricks in Kugui, Bizen City.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nHe became independent in 2013 and began his career as a ceramic artist.","brand":"曽我 尭","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46618054426721,"sku":"6489","price":8800.0,"currency_code":"JPY","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0654\/9916\/8865\/files\/6489.jpg?v=1790231572","url":"https:\/\/tourakuen.myshopify.com\/en\/products\/p6489","provider":"川口陶楽苑","version":"1.0","type":"link"}