{"product_id":"p7111","title":"Bizen Sake Cup","description":"A Bizen sake cup by the visionary artist Juroku Harada, who was described as a \"prodigy to be reckoned with\" and studied ancient Bizen pottery alongside the great Bizen scholar, Matazaburo Katsura.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nThis piece is from one of the final kilns fired by Harada himself at his studio. It features an exceptionally hard, high-fired Hidasuki (fire-cord) finish that subverts the graceful image typically associated with this style of pottery.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nThe piece was enclosed within another vessel inside the anagama kiln to protect it from direct flames, allowing the straw wrapped around its body to react and create a complete Hidasuki pattern across its exterior.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nInside the cup, there are traces of sesame glaze (goma) that dripped down from above, providing an intriguing accent against the pristine, stark white clay interior.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nThe bold hand-coiled form characteristic of Juroku Harada and his signature attached foot (tsuke-kodai) are magnificent. While the piece has a sense of gravitas, it is not so heavy as to be cumbersome to use as a sake vessel; the smooth texture combined with the comfortably tapered waist provides a grip that makes the cup feel even better in the hand than its appearance suggests.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nDue to the shape of the foot, there is slight wobbling, but this does not affect its use.\n\nSigned wooden box (shiho-san)\u003cbr\u003e\nDiameter 6.5cm × 6.5cm × Height 6.6cm\n\nJuroku Harada was born in Bizen City, Okayama Prefecture, in 1941.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nAfter graduating from Meiji University and working in a corporate position, he began creating pottery around 1969.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nHe built a small anagama kiln in 1971 and a climbing kiln the following year, commencing his full-scale ceramic career.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nFrom 1975, he studied ancient Bizen pottery by visiting historic kiln sites under the guidance of the Bizen scholar Matazaburo Katsura.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nIn 1991, he built an anagama kiln on Amida Mountain in Ushimado.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nKnown particularly for his mortar (suribachi) forms, he produced flower vases, tea utensils, and sake vessels, primarily using hand-coiling techniques supplemented by wheel-throwing.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nHe held numerous solo exhibitions across Japan, including in Tokyo and Osaka.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nIn 1983, he held a joint exhibition at the National Museum of Ethnology in Australia with Fushina-ware artist Kenji Funaki.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nHe received the Japan Ceramic Society Award in 2000.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nIn 2002, he exhibited at the opening commemoration exhibition of the Museum of Modern Ceramic Art, Gifu, where his work was subsequently acquired for their collection.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nHis works were also added to the collection of the New Orleans Museum of Art in the United States in 2005.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nHe passed away in 2024.","brand":"原田拾六","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46618083328097,"sku":"7111","price":88000.0,"currency_code":"JPY","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0654\/9916\/8865\/files\/7111.jpg?v=1790232239","url":"https:\/\/tourakuen.myshopify.com\/en\/products\/p7111","provider":"川口陶楽苑","version":"1.0","type":"link"}