{"product_id":"p7355","title":"Bizen Sake Cup","description":"This is a brand-new Bizen sake cup, freshly fired by Takashi Soga, who recreates the environment of the era when old Bizen ware was fired to challenge the beauty of the past.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nThis piece was fired in May 2024.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nTo recreate the firing style of the Old Bizen era, the piece was fired in a kiln made entirely of earth—avoiding the use of refractory bricks that did not exist at the time—which defies modern firing conventions.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nThe all-earth kiln acts as a singular, massive piece of pottery itself, and because of this, it imparts an exquisite quality to the clay that transcends modern aesthetics and approaches the look of Old Bizen.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nFor this firing, the artist took on an unprecedented challenge of an exceptionally long 19-day firing, resulting in a work covered in incredibly fine-textured *kase-goma* (matte ash glaze) and *haikaburi* (ash-covered) kiln transformation throughout.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nWith over 80% of the surface covered in a very fine-textured matte ash and kiln transformation, the surface has a softness that—in the best sense—hardly seems like Bizen ware; it is a marvelous transformation that makes you want to roll it in your palm forever.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nThe cup is made with considerable thickness and possesses a solid, substantial presence, yet due to Soga's signature clean, unobtrusive form and the intensely sophisticated kiln transformation, it is finished as a remarkably honest piece.\n\nOriginal wooden box (Shiho-san)\u003cbr\u003e\nDiameter 7.1cm × 7.0cm × Height 7.1cm\n\nTakashi Soga was born in Tokyo in 1984.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nHe studied under Jun Isezaki in 2009, and in 2012, he built his own kiln in Kukui, Bizen City, using only earth and no refractory bricks.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nHe became independent in 2013 and began his pottery career.","brand":"曽我 尭","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46618130874465,"sku":"7355","price":16500.0,"currency_code":"JPY","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0654\/9916\/8865\/files\/7355.jpg?v=1790232588","url":"https:\/\/tourakuen.myshopify.com\/en\/products\/p7355","provider":"川口陶楽苑","version":"1.0","type":"link"}