{"product_id":"p5707","title":"Bizen sake bottle","description":"This is a Bizen ware sake flask by the late master Kaneshige Toyo, the first Living National Treasure and the great restorer of Bizen ware. Judging by the potter's mark, the quality of the clay, and the craftsmanship of the storage box, this is a piece from the very final years of Toyo’s life, likely created between 1965 and his death. The piece features a dizzying array of kiln alterations—including *sangiri* (smoky reduction), *koge-goma* (scorched sesame ash), *ki-goma* (yellow sesame ash), and *nuke* (white highlights)—offering a diverse range of effects characteristic of Bizen ware that ensures the user will never tire of it. It uses the finest Kannon clay, which fires to a bright brown, and has a moist, exceptionally soft texture when held, making it a culmination of Toyo’s life's work in clay preparation. The form also highlights the distinct characteristics of his late-period style; while he increasingly made smaller mouths in his later years, this piece features a compact, highly refined mouth set against a majestic body that feels a size larger than it actually is. As a result, it produces an elegant, rhythmic sound when pouring. It is a magnificent masterpiece in which the signature form, firing, and clay quality of Kaneshige Toyo are in perfect harmony.\n\nSigned wooden box (includes four-way locking lid, secondary outer box, and certificate of appraisal by Kaneshige Kosuke)\u003cbr\u003e\nRim diameter 3.1cm × Body diameter 8.5cm × Body diameter 8.5cm × Height 11.9cm; Capacity approx. 330cc\n\nKaneshige Toyo (1896–1967, born in Inbe, Bizen City) was the eldest son of the kiln owner Kaneshige Baiyo, from a branch of the Kaneshige family, one of the six major Bizen ware lineages.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nHe began his pottery training under his father and rose to prominence for his handmade *hohin* teapots.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nFrom the Taisho period through the early Showa period, he conducted extensive research into kiln loading, firing techniques, and traditional clay preparation, successfully recreating the Bizen clay quality of the Momoyama period in 1930. Around 1932, he began working with the potter’s wheel and focused his efforts on creating tea ceremony ceramics.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nHe deepened his friendships with masters such as Kawakita Handeishi, Arakawa Toyozo, and Miwa Kyusetsu, and after the war, he expanded his artistic scope through the influence of figures like Kitaoji Rosanjin and Isamu Noguchi.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nHaving breathed new life into Bizen ware, which had been in decline since the Edo and Meiji periods, he is known as the \"Restorer of Bizen ware.\"\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nIn 1954, he was recognized as an Okayama Prefecture Important Intangible Cultural Property holder, and in 1956, he became the first individual to be designated as a Living National Treasure for Bizen ware.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nIn 1964 and 1966, he was invited to serve as a summer lecturer at the University of Hawaii.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nIn 1967, he performed a demonstration of his craft during a visit to Bizen by the Emperor Showa and Empress Kojun.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nHe passed away in 1967.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nMajor awards and honors: Chugoku Cultural Award, Sanyo Shimbun Award, Okayama Prefecture Cultural Award, Medal with Purple Ribbon, Order of the Sacred Treasure, Fourth Class, and others.","brand":"金重陶陽","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46618005209185,"sku":"5707","price":900000.0,"currency_code":"JPY","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0654\/9916\/8865\/files\/5707.jpg?v=1790231022","url":"https:\/\/www.tourakuen.jp\/en\/products\/p5707","provider":"川口陶楽苑","version":"1.0","type":"link"}