Shino sake cup

This Shino sake cup (guinomi) was created by the second-generation Fujiwara Rakuzan, a holder of a Prefectural Important Intangible Cultural Property designation who crafted numerous masterpieces after being born as the third son of the master craftsman, the first-generation Fujiwara Rakuzan. It is a sake cup that exudes a certain elegance, crafted by the second-generation Rakuzan, whose hermit-like way of life and superb, uncompromising craftsmanship captivated all who knew him. This is a rare Shino work, said to have been created during a trip to Gifu; while the form is identical to his Bizen ware, it stands firmly and naturally as Shino, a testament to his inspiring philosophy that no matter how the location or method of expression may change, the foundation of one's self remains constant. Even within the leisurely pursuit of exploring Mino, one can see his masterly, uncompromising struggle with himself, such as in the adjustment of the glaze thickness; it seems the playful and the serious were seamlessly intertwined to form the refined persona of Rakuzan. Original signed wooden box (shiho-zan)
Diameter 6.8cm x Diameter 6.6cm x Height 5.0cm The second-generation Fujiwara Rakuzan was born as the third son of the master craftsman, the first-generation Fujiwara Rakuzan. He studied pottery under his father from an early age and succeeded to the name Rakuzan II after his father’s death in 1930. Known for his "Rakuzan tea bowls and incense burners," he gained high acclaim, was designated a national master craftsman in 1948, and became an Okayama Prefecture Important Intangible Cultural Property holder in 1954. He also received the Okayama Nichinichi Shimbun Arts and Culture Merit Award and the Order of the Sacred Treasure, Sixth Class. He passed away on September 3, 1996.