Bizen Guinomi

This Bizen sake cup is the work of Juro Harada, a prodigy who was described by the great Bizen scholar Matazaburo Katsura as a "talent to watch" while they conducted research into ancient Bizen together. It is a work of such solid, intense firing that one cannot help but feel it was cradled by flames before being brought into this world. Its dull, lustrous, deep-purple surface, reminiscent of a sweet potato skin, is the result of high-quality, iron-rich clay and masterly temperature control. The scorched, green-hued ash glaze resembles moss-covered river rocks, lending the piece an incredibly refined presence, further complemented by its unique form. Original signed wooden box (shiho-zan)
Diameter 8.9cm × Diameter 7.0cm × Height 5.8cm After graduating from Meiji University, Juro Harada worked in the corporate world before beginning his journey in pottery in 1969. In 1971, he built an ana-gama kiln, followed by a climbing kiln the next year, and devoted himself fully to ceramics. Beginning in 1975, he studied ancient Bizen under the guidance of noted researcher Matazaburo Katsura, visiting historic kiln sites. In 1991, he built an ana-gama kiln on Mt. Amida in Ushimado. He creates jars, tea ceremony utensils, and leaf-shaped dishes, primarily using the coil-building technique, though he occasionally utilizes the potter's wheel. He has held numerous solo exhibitions in cities such as Tokyo and Osaka. In 1983, he held a joint exhibition with Kenji Funaki of Fushina ware at the National Museum of Ethnology in Australia. He received the Japan Ceramic Society Award in 2000. In 2002, his work was exhibited at and acquired by the Museum of Modern Ceramic Art, Gifu, for its inaugural exhibition. In 2005, his work was acquired by the New Orleans Museum of Art in the United States.