Bizen Tokkuri

This is a brand-new Bizen sake bottle, freshly taken from the kiln by Kosuke Kaneshige, the leader of the Kaneshige family, whose father was the great reviver of Bizen ware and Living National Treasure, Toyo Kaneshige. This piece features an exquisite balance between a dark, "ash-covered" kiln-transformed surface and the vivid scarlet "hi-iro" accents revealed by the rolling of the piece in the kiln, allowing the collector to enjoy both the powerful firing effects and a surface that changes as it reacts to sake. The deep black, with a unique presence almost like mineral ore, shifts dramatically through the "kumadori" shading—the boundary between the ash-covered areas and the contact points—into a vibrant scarlet that never ceases to captivate the viewer. The form of the bottle is also wonderful; within a rounded design that highlights the softness and elasticity of the clay, elements such as the sharp rim and the hidden spatula work on the base skillfully tighten the overall aesthetic. Signed wooden box (shiho-san style)
Rim 3.6cm × Body diameter 9.6cm × 9.6cm × Height 13.8cm, Capacity approx. 480cc Kosuke Kaneshige is the third son of Living National Treasure Toyo Kaneshige. He graduated from the Tokyo University of the Arts in 1968 with a degree in sculpture and completed his master’s degree there in 1970. He began exhibiting ceramic works in 1975, and after serving as a lecturer in the Faculty of Letters at Tokai University, he returned home in 1977. He built his climbing kiln in 1982. He creates objects, tea utensils, vases, tableware, and sake vessels. In 1991, he created the ceramic mural "Light and Wind" for the Yasuda Fire and Marine Insurance Building in Okayama. He received the Japan Ceramic Society Award in 1994. In 1997, he exhibited at the Bizen Ware Paris Exhibition. He has held solo exhibitions in various locations, including Tokyo and Osaka. In 2012, he was designated as an Okayama Prefecture Important Intangible Cultural Property holder.