Bizen / Fujiwara Rakuzan III
Ao-Bizen Chaire by Fujiwara Rakuzan III
The eldest son of Fujiwara Rakuzan II, Fujiwara Rakuzan III (1943-,given name Ken) is valiantly continuing where his father (an Okayama Prefecture Intangible Cultural Property) and grandfather have left behind: a legacy of Enyu (salt-glazed) Ao-Bizen (blue Bizen) that none have attempted before Rakuzan I. It is a unique aesthetic based on a Shio-gama (salt kiln) that coats the Bizen clay with a slightly luminous shine to its body, with soothing, gray and milky kiln-effects contrasted with bright red and oranges. At once, a viewer can see the elegance of Ao-Bizen, and perhaps this elegance is a reason why many who practice the Way of Tea appreciate the refined beauty of the Rakuzan family's wares. Rakuzan III learned his skills from his father straight out of high school, and had a natural talent with the potter's wheel. Simple and elegant, with a great cool tinge when held and used, the Ao-Bizen of the Fujiwara's is a unique aesthetic that largely contrasts from traditional Bizen, and an aesthetic that foreign audiences are not yet privy to. We are proud to be able to show a wide spectrum of Bizen by exhibiting (for the first time) the works of the Rakuzan lineage, and we hope that more fans of Bizen will soon realize that the Enyu Ao-Bizen is an important part of Bizen's history. A good chaire (tea caddy) is extremely difficult to come by, and such is one of the reasons we do not often offer many on our site. In the hierarchy of tea articles in the Way of Tea, the chaire ranks supreme, even above the chawan (tea bowl). The price of a famous chaire used to equal an entire feudal domain back in the Edo Period... In any case, Rakuzan is a teaware potter, and his teawares are of high esteem in the world of tea. His skill with teawares is materialized in this tea caddy. What a noble form, with such a dark and enigmatic air! Comes with a silk pouch called a shifuku, which is the proper item to keep a chaire in. This salt-glazed Ao-Bizen chaire is 8.5cm tall, 7cm wide, comes with a signed box and is in perfect condition.
ADDITIONAL PHOTOS
