Bizen sake cup

This is an exquisite new Bizen sake cup by Sosu Kaneshige, who inherited the Maruyama Kiln as the eldest son of the master Sozan Kaneshige and has captivated many with his harmonious blend of delicate, elegant clay texture and powerful form. This piece was exhibited in a solo exhibition and fired to the absolute limit of the *tada* (rice field clay). It is a miraculous cup that emerged from the kiln having avoided fusion with other pieces, retaining only the finest, most extreme kiln-transformation effects, such as the reef-like *haikaburi* (ash covering) and the fully melted *namako-hada* (sea cucumber skin). Inheriting the "Sozanism" and developing it in his own unique way, his style possesses an even greater sense of purity and strength than that seen in his father's work. Furthermore, the natural distortion caused by the intense heat during firing creates a cool, organic shape that the human hand could never replicate. The wide foot was finished quickly without hesitation, its unpretentious simplicity being deeply satisfying and perfectly embodying the *wabi* (refined austerity) and wild rustic charm required of Bizen sake ware. The interior features a golden sheen, perhaps the final radiance of the fired-out *tada* clay, adding a brilliant flourish that responds to the extreme kiln transformation. Signed wooden box (shiho-san)
Diameter 6.8cm x Diameter 6.1cm x Height 5.9cm Sosu Kaneshige is the eldest son of the Intangible Cultural Property holder Sozan Kaneshige. After graduating from the Faculty of Agriculture at Kyoto University, he entered the path of pottery under his father in 1969. He became independent in 1979. He primarily focuses on tea ceremony ceramics using the potter's wheel, characterized by deep, rich firing. He strives to eliminate decoration as much as possible, focusing on directly channeling his own soul into the clay. He rarely exhibits in open competitions, preferring to focus his creative energy on solo exhibitions, which he holds energetically every year at department stores and other venues in Okayama, Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Kyoto, Hiroshima, Fukuoka, and Kumamoto. In 1995, he held a solo exhibition in Munich, Germany, and in 1997, he participated in the Bizen Ware Exhibition in Paris.