{"product_id":"p6501","title":"Bizen teacup","description":"This Bizen tea cup is by Takashi Soga, an artist who challenges the beauty of antiquity by recreating the environment of the era when Old Bizen (Ko-Bizen) ware was fired.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nTo replicate the firing techniques of the Old Bizen period, he avoids using firebricks—which did not exist at the time—and instead fires his pieces in a kiln made entirely of clay, where modern firing conventions do not apply.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nThe all-clay kiln effectively acts as a single, massive piece of pottery itself, and because of this, it imparts a superb earthen quality that transcends modern aesthetics and approaches the look of Old Bizen.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nIn Soga's kiln, the kiln itself transforms with every firing, a characteristic that causes the finish of his work to constantly evolve; this particular piece features a refined 'hidasuki' (fire-cord) pattern typical of Soga's style, with a subtle golden hue.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nUnlike the sharp contrast between the clay surface and the hidasuki seen in modern Bizen ware, this piece captures the look found in unassuming Old Bizen works, where the hidasuki and the clay surface seem to have integrated into one.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nThough the hidasuki is so delicate it might almost be overlooked, the way it appears to have soaked deeply into the clay surface offers an exceptional flavor.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nRather than a light, underfired scarlet, this piece harbors a \"solidly fired scarlet,\" and the layering of dark, earthy-brown hidasuki masterfully recreates the skin of Old Bizen.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nAs you use it, the surface will become polished, shifting to a matte texture and drawing closer to the unpretentious, primal strength inherent in Old Bizen ware.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nIt is made to be incredibly lightweight, a testament to Soga's meticulous craftsmanship.\n\nNo box\u003cbr\u003e\nDiameter 7.1cm × 6.9cm × Height 9.3cm\n\nTakashi Soga was born in Tokyo in 1984.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nHe studied under Jun Isezaki in 2009, and in 2012, he built an all-clay kiln without firebricks in Kugu-i, Bizen City.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nHe became independent and began his career as a potter in 2013.","brand":"曽我 尭","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46618718470241,"sku":"6501","price":8800.0,"currency_code":"JPY","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0654\/9916\/8865\/files\/6501.jpg?v=1790241187","url":"https:\/\/www.tourakuen.jp\/en\/products\/p6501","provider":"川口陶楽苑","version":"1.0","type":"link"}