Bizen sake bottle

This is an earlier work of Bizen sake bottle by the prodigy Juroku Harada, who was described as having "frightening potential" while studying ancient Bizen alongside the great contributor to the Bizen tradition, Katsura Matasaburo. This magnificent piece is reminiscent of an old Bizen "potato" (imo) sake bottle, representing the very essence of Juroku Harada's craft. The powerful rising form and swelling body, which can only be described as bursting at the seams, suit the name "imo" perfectly, and it possesses an overwhelming presence when held in the hand. The greenish, matte-textured sesame glaze (kase-goma) and the deep, shiso-leaf-colored surface are distinctive hallmarks that make this work instantly recognizable as a Juroku Harada creation. It would be an exquisite pleasure to savor both the echoes of ancient Bizen and the original beauty of Harada's own Bizen style while enjoying a drink and watching the bottle "mature" over time. (There is gold lacquer repair on the rim; please note that this is an earlier work, though there is little sense of use.) Signed wooden box (shiho-san) included
Rim 4.3cm x Body diameter 11.2cm x Body diameter 11.2cm x Height 16.0cm; Capacity approx. 740cc After graduating from Meiji University and working in a company, Juroku Harada began his pottery career in 1969. He built an anagama kiln in 1971 and a climbing kiln the following year, committing himself fully to pottery. Starting in 1975, under the guidance of ancient Bizen researcher Matasaburo Katsura, he visited old kiln sites to study ancient Bizen. In 1991, he built an anagama kiln in Amidayama, Ushimado. He produces jars, tea ceremony utensils, and leaf-shaped dishes, primarily using the coil-building method, while occasionally incorporating the potter's wheel. He has held active solo exhibitions in cities such as Tokyo and Osaka. In 1983, he held a joint exhibition at the National Museum of Ethnology in Australia with Kenji Funaki of Fushina ware. 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 opening commemorative exhibition. In 2005, his work was acquired by the New Orleans Museum of Art in the United States.