{"product_id":"p7069","title":"Bizen Sake Cup","description":"This is a Bizen sake cup by the late Toyo Kaneshige, a Living National Treasure and the great father of the Bizen ware revival.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nGiven that the potter's mark is a shortened \"To,\" it is believed to be a work from his final years, around 1965.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nIt is made from meticulously selected, high-quality clay—the finest in Bizen—resulting in a surface texture so smooth that you will want to stroke it endlessly.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nThe earthy tones, transitioning from dark brown to a gentle orange, are accented by perfectly placed stone inclusions. The more you use it, the more character the clay will develop.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nEven in his later years, his mastery of the spatula remained sharp, as evidenced by the foot of the cup; running your finger along the rim reveals a sharpness comparable to a honed blade.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nWhile many of Toyo's late-period sake cups are relatively large, this piece combines that scale with a serene coloration, making it a cup you will want to use every day.\n\nSigned wooden box by Kosuke (with traditional cross-bracing)\u003cbr\u003e\nDiameter 7.0cm × 6.9cm × Height 6.6cm\n\nToyo Kaneshige (1896–1967, born in Inbe, Bizen City) was the eldest son of Baiyo Kaneshige, from a branch of the Kaneshige family, one of the six traditional Bizen pottery lineages.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nHe studied under his father and initially gained fame for his handmade tea strainers (hohin).\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nFrom the Taisho era through the early Showa period, he conducted extensive research and successfully recreated the aesthetic of Momoyama-period Bizen clay. Around that time, he began using a potter's wheel and shifted his focus to creating tea ceremony ceramics.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nHe cultivated deep friendships with Handeishi Kawakita, Toyozo Arakawa, and Kyusetsu Miwa, and after the war, he expanded his artistic range under the influence of figures such as Rosanjin Kitaoji and Isamu Noguchi.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nBy breathing new life into Bizen ware, which had declined from the Edo through the Meiji periods, he is celebrated as the father of the Bizen ware revival.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nHe was the first Bizen potter to be designated a holder of an Important Intangible Cultural Property, and in 1964 and 1966, he was invited as a guest lecturer for the summer session 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\nMajor awards include the Chugoku Culture Award, Sanyo Shimbun Award, Okayama Prefecture Culture Award, Medal with Purple Ribbon, and the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette.","brand":"金重陶陽","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46618730692705,"sku":"7069","price":600000.0,"currency_code":"JPY","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0654\/9916\/8865\/files\/7069.jpg?v=1790241493","url":"https:\/\/tourakuen.myshopify.com\/en\/products\/p7069","provider":"川口陶楽苑","version":"1.0","type":"link"}