{"product_id":"p6609","title":"Bizen ware 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, Soga avoids modern firebricks, firing his works in a kiln made entirely of clay—a method where contemporary firing logic does not apply.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nThe clay kiln itself acts as a single, massive piece of pottery, which allows it to transcend modern aesthetics and produce an exquisite \"tsuchi-aji\" (texture of the clay) that rivals that 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 the pieces to constantly evolve. This work features Soga’s signature understated \"hidasuki\" (fire-cord) pattern with a subtle golden hue.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nUnlike the sharp, distinct contrast between the clay surface and the hidasuki seen in modern Bizen ware, this piece possesses a landscape where the hidasuki and clay surface are integrated, much like the casual, understated pieces of the Old Bizen era.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nThough the hidasuki is so delicate it might almost be overlooked, the way it has deeply soaked into the clay surface provides an exceptional flavor.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nRather than a light-fired scarlet, this work possesses a \"thoroughly kiln-hardened scarlet,\" with overlapping shades of dark, astringent brown hidasuki that brilliantly recreate the surface of Old Bizen.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nAs you use it, the surface will become polished, evolving into a matte texture and drawing closer to the unpretentious, primal strength inherent in Old Bizen.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nDue to Soga’s meticulous craftsmanship, the piece is exceptionally lightweight.\n\nNo box included\u003cbr\u003e\nDiameter 6.9cm × 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, built a kiln made entirely of clay, without the use of firebricks, in Kuku-i, Bizen City.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nHe became independent and began his career as a ceramic artist in 2013.","brand":"曽我 尭","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46618720567393,"sku":"6609","price":8800.0,"currency_code":"JPY","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0654\/9916\/8865\/files\/6609.jpg?v=1790241259","url":"https:\/\/www.tourakuen.jp\/en\/products\/p6609","provider":"川口陶楽苑","version":"1.0","type":"link"}