{"product_id":"p6983","title":"Bizen Sake Cup","description":"This sake cup is an early work by Togaku Mori, the artist who achieved the historic feat of firing an 85-meter-long climbing kiln.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nIt features the \"broken pine needle\" (ore-matsuba) maker's mark used during Mori's earliest period, and is inscribed \"Showa 41\" (1966) on the inside of the lid.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nHaving established his independence in 1962, this piece was likely fired at his Togaku kiln in Inbe in 1966, and one can sense a unique essence within the character of its climbing kiln firing.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nWhile it is a piece characterized by the ash-glaze (haikaburi) typical of climbing kiln firings, the finish on the foot and parts of the side is quite soft, resulting in a distinct orange hue reminiscent of unglazed earthenware.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nConversely, the interior of the cup has been engulfed by embers, resulting in a uniform gray ash-glaze appearance; this unconventional firing technique reflects both his reverence for ancient Bizen ware and his spirit of challenge.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nThe form is quite different from the precise shapes achieved through modern plaster molds, as it retains strong wheel marks in three stacked tiers, a robustness that recalls the mortar bowls of ancient Bizen pottery.\n\nWith signature box (Shiho-san)\u003cbr\u003e\nDiameter 7.5cm x 7.3cm x Height 4.5cm\n\nTogaku Mori was born in Inbe, Bizen City, in 1937, the eldest son of Hideji Mori, whose lineage traces back to the six master kiln families.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nAfter graduating from the Special Fine Arts Course at Okayama University in 1959, he initially pursued a career as a teacher.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nHowever, he resigned in 1962 to return to his family home and dedicate himself to pottery.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nHe was selected for the Japan Traditional Kogei Exhibition the following year, and in 1966, he became a full member of the Japan Kōgei Association.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nIn 1969, he held a three-person exhibition in Tokyo with Issei Ezaki and Shoji Kamoda, and in the same year, he received the Japan Ceramic Society Award.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nFascinated by the overwhelming beauty of ancient Bizen, he began researching the large kilns used to fire such works around 1972.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nIn 1977, he built a 46-meter-long large kiln in Aioi City, Hyogo Prefecture, and conducted a firing in 1980.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nApplying that data, in 1983 he built the 53-meter-long Osafune large kiln in Setouchi City, Okayama Prefecture, and fired it in 1986.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nIn 1996, he was designated as a holder of an Important Intangible Cultural Property by Okayama Prefecture.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nHe exhibited at the Bizen Ware Paris Exhibition in 1997, and in 2002, he was awarded the Gold Prize of the Japan Ceramic Society.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nIn 2008, he completed the new Osafune large kiln (85m long, 6m wide, 3m high), a project he had long been preparing, and after numerous modifications, he finally achieved a successful firing in this unprecedented kiln in 2015.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nAwards include: Japan Ceramic Society Award, Japan Ceramic Society Gold Prize, Sanyo Shimbun Award, Okayama Nichinichi Shimbun Arts and Culture Merit Award, and many others \/ Prefectural Exhibition Juror","brand":"森 陶岳","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46618073104481,"sku":"6983","price":48000.0,"currency_code":"JPY","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0654\/9916\/8865\/files\/6983.jpg?v=1790232092","url":"https:\/\/tourakuen.myshopify.com\/en\/products\/p6983","provider":"川口陶楽苑","version":"1.0","type":"link"}