{"product_id":"p7197","title":"Bizen Small Sake Bottle","description":"This is a Bizen small tokkuri (sake bottle) by the brilliant prodigy Juroku Harada, who was famously called \"fearsome\" and studied old Bizen alongside the great Bizen scholar, Matasaburo Katsura.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nThe piece includes a ceramic biography dating up to 2004, suggesting it was produced around that time.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nIt is a work from the later period of the kilns Harada-sensei operated himself, characterized by a profound aesthetic that condenses the knowledge and techniques he cultivated through his research into old Bizen.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nThe bold texture, packed with the expertise gained from his studies of ancient Bizen, is masterful, and the bluish-tinged *kase-goma* (stony sesame glaze), a signature of his recent works, makes the piece instantly recognizable as his own.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nFurthermore, it displays the rich *shiso* (beefsteak plant) color in the clay, another hallmark of Harada-sensei. This exquisite, sensual purple hue will be polished by the sake poured into it, eventually maturing into a refined character that may one day rival that of true old Bizen.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nThis piece was formed using the coil-building method and then slowly shaved with a spatula, resulting in a gently triangular body that possesses a significant presence in the palm of your hand.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nAlthough the tokkuri is thick-walled and substantial, the unique curves and indentations of the body make it easy to hold, achieving both usability and a profound sense of presence.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nThis is a pre-owned piece, but it shows no signs of use or staining.\n\nSigned wooden box (shiho-san style included)\u003cbr\u003e\nRim 3.8cm × Body diameter 7.6cm × Height 12.8cm, Capacity approx. 200cc\n\nJuroku Harada was born in Bizen City, Okayama Prefecture, in 1941.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nAfter graduating from Meiji University, he worked in a corporate role before beginning his pottery career around 1969.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nHe built an *ana-gama* (tunnel kiln) in 1971 and a *nobori-gama* (climbing kiln) the following year, marking the true start of his artistic practice.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nFrom 1975, he studied old Bizen by visiting ancient kiln sites under the guidance of the old Bizen researcher Matasaburo Katsura.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nIn 1991, he built an *ana-gama* on Mt. Amida in Ushimado.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nHe was particularly renowned for his *suribachi* (grinding bowls) and produced flower vases, tea utensils, and sake vessels primarily using coil-building, with some use of the potter's wheel.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nHe held solo exhibitions throughout Japan, including in Tokyo and Osaka.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nIn 1983, he held a two-person exhibition at the National Museum of Australia with Kenji Funaki, a master of Fushina ware.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nHe received the Japan Ceramic Society Award in 2000.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nIn 2002, his work was exhibited at and acquired by the Museum of Modern Ceramic Art, Gifu, for its opening commemorative exhibition.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nIn 2005, his work was added to the collection of the New Orleans Museum of Art in the United States.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nHe passed away in 2024.","brand":"原田拾六","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46618096435297,"sku":"7197","price":176000.0,"currency_code":"JPY","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0654\/9916\/8865\/files\/7197.jpg?v=1790232343","url":"https:\/\/tourakuen.myshopify.com\/en\/products\/p7197","provider":"川口陶楽苑","version":"1.0","type":"link"}