Ao-Bizen Sangiri Shuhai

This is an Ao-Bizen Sangiri Shuhai by Mitsuhiro Kaneshige, who was born into Kaneshige Ritouen, one of the six traditional Bizen kiln families, yet pursues his own path in pottery without being bound by the family name.

This is a highly distinctive work that aims for an Ao-Bizen style firing through intense reduction flames, while also enveloping the entire piece in powerful Sangiri.

From a distance, it almost resembles charcoal or coal, and only when held in the hand does one fully realize that it is in fact a ceramic piece. This gives it a mysterious and fascinating fire pattern.

The surface, where the blue-toned firing from the reduction flames overlaps with the intense Sangiri effect, shows a complex mixture of blue, black, and silver, creating a profound fire pattern that changes its expression depending on the viewing angle.

Furthermore, when sake is poured into the piece and moisture soaks into the clay, Bizen-like yellow and green natural ash glaze, hidden beneath the fire pattern, gradually emerges, adding another layer of fascination.

The carefully considered wheel marks inside, reminiscent of a pool of tea, are beautifully resolved, and the trimmed foot, with its crepe-like wrinkles, is equally impressive.

Mitsuhiro Kaneshige was born in 1988 in Imbe, Bizen City, into Kaneshige Ritouen, one of the six kiln families of Bizen.

He entered the Bizen Ceramic Art Center in 2017 and held his first kiln firing in 2020.

In 2023, he received the Shubi Prize at the Chanoyu no Zokeiten, and in 2024, he held his first solo exhibition.