{"product_id":"p7638","title":"Bizen Guinomi (sake cup)","description":"This is a Bizen sake cup (guinomi) by the brilliant and eccentric artist Juro Harada, who was famously described as having \"frightening potential\" and who studied ancient Bizen pottery alongside the great Bizen scholar Matazaburo Katsura.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nA pottery biography dated up to 2004 is included, suggesting this piece was created around that time.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nIt is a work from a later kiln period among those fired by Harada himself, characterized by a profound aesthetic that embodies the knowledge and techniques he cultivated through his research into ancient Bizen.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nIn contrast to the elegant image typically associated with standard Hidasuki (fire-cord) works, this sake cup features an exceptionally hard, ringing-fired Hidasuki finish.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nFired inside a sagger within an anagama (tunnel kiln) to prevent direct flame contact, the piece exhibits a white body with subtle blue tints, decorated with matte, orange-toned Hidasuki markings.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nOn the front of the cup is the heart-shaped carving that Harada favored. Rather than scratching the surface, the clay was carved away from the body; it was then reinforced from the inside with an added layer of clay, and the edges of the heart were repaired by Harada himself.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nThe powerful body structure, created using the coil-building (himo-zukuri) technique typical of Harada, is masterful. In addition to knife-shaving, the surface is marked with the traces of moving small stones, giving it an intensity reminiscent of a fierce warrior from the Warring States period.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nDespite its substantial presence, it is not too heavy for a drinking vessel. The smooth texture combined with the indented waist provides an excellent grip, making it comfortable to hold.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nIf filled with water for about three hours, the very bottom of the heart motif becomes slightly damp.\n\nOriginal wooden box (shiho-san)\u003cbr\u003e\nDiameter: 6.8cm × 6.6cm, Height: 6.9cm\n\nJuro Harada was born in Bizen City, Okayama Prefecture, in 1941.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nAfter graduating from Meiji University and working for a company, he began his pottery career around 1969.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nHe built a small tunnel kiln in 1971 and a climbing kiln the following year to begin his work in earnest.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nStarting in 1975, he studied ancient Bizen pottery under the guidance of the ancient Bizen researcher Matazaburo Katsura, visiting historical kiln sites.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nIn 1991, he built an anagama kiln in Amidayama, Ushimado.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nHe was particularly renowned for his mortars (suribachi) and created vases, tea utensils, and sake vessels primarily using coil-building, supplemented by some wheel-throwing.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nHe held solo exhibitions across Japan, including in Tokyo and Osaka.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nIn 1983, he held a two-person exhibition with Kenji Funaki of Fushina ware at the National Gallery of Victoria in Australia.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nHe received the Japan Ceramic Society Award in 2000.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nIn 2002, he exhibited his work at the opening commemorative exhibition of the Museum of Modern Ceramic Art, Gifu, and his pieces were added to their permanent collection.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nIn 2005, his works were acquired by 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":46618202407009,"sku":"7638","price":132000.0,"currency_code":"JPY","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0654\/9916\/8865\/files\/7638.jpg?v=1790233023","url":"https:\/\/tourakuen.myshopify.com\/en\/products\/p7638","provider":"川口陶楽苑","version":"1.0","type":"link"}