Bizen sake bottle

This is a Bizen sake bottle by Kei Fujiwara, a master beloved by all for a warm, open-hearted style that radiates kindness. This piece, from his later years, features a dark texture achieved through reduction firing and a deeply tasteful greenish sesame glaze. The waist shows a captivating landscape created by the mingling of straw used for *hidasuki* (fire-cord) patterns and sesame glaze, resulting in white and thread-like sesame markings. The reddish section in the center, known as a *nuke*, will likely become even more vivid if you rub a drop of sake into it over time. With a capacity of just under two *go*—a size characteristic of Fujiwara, who loved his sake—it produces a delightful "toku-toku" sound when pouring. Both its form and firing are neither too plain nor too flashy, making this a piece you can enjoy for years to come. With original box (two-way crossbar lid)
Mouth 3.4cm × Body diameter 9.5cm × Body diameter 9.5cm × Height 12.2cm; Capacity approx. 350cc Kei Fujiwara (1899–1983, born in Bizen City, Okayama Prefecture) entered the world of Bizen pottery at the urging of Atsuo Masamune, a scholar of Japanese literature living in Honami, Bizen. He learned wheel-throwing techniques from Umegei Mimura, and from 1941, refined his skills under fellow Living National Treasure Toyo Kaneshige, from whom he learned firing methods. Following the rustic and bold aesthetics seen in Kamakura and Muromachi period utilitarian wares, he produced vases and flower vessels with a generous, clear-cut style. His deep appreciation for the arts, cultivated in his youth, strongly influenced his work. In 1954, he became the second person to be designated a Living National Treasure for Bizen ware, and in 1958, he became a director of the Japan Kōgei Association. In 1977, the Kei Fujiwara Memorial Museum was established in Bizen City, Okayama Prefecture.
Major awards: Okayama Prefecture Cultural Award, Sanyo Shimbun Award, Chugoku Cultural Award; Honorary Citizen of Bizen City, Honorary Citizen of Okayama Prefecture; posthumously awarded the Order of the Sacred Treasure, Third Class.