Bizen tea bowl

This is a Bizen tea bowl by Kei Fujiwara, an artist beloved by all for a warm style that exudes both boldness and kindness. It is a very large and dynamic bowl, with powerful craftsmanship that fills the palm of your hand. The warm, reddish clay features thick *hidasuki* (fire-cord) markings and subtle, slightly matte *goma* (ash glaze) accents, creating a simple, quintessentially Bizen landscape. The delicate shifts in the clay are a delight, with beautiful variations coloring every corner of its expansive form. It is truly rich in color, with hues such as the bleeding reddish-purple at the rim and the bright brown where the coarse clay glints in the light.

Original signed box (shiho-san style)
Diameter 14.0cm x Diameter 13.3cm x Height 9.8cm

Kei Fujiwara (1899–1983, born in Bizen City, Okayama Prefecture) entered the world of Bizen ware at the suggestion of Atsuo Masamune, a scholar of Japanese literature living in Honami, Bizen. He received instruction in wheel-throwing and other techniques from Baikkei Mimura, and from 1941, he honed his skills by learning firing techniques from fellow Living National Treasure Toyo Kaneshige. Emulating the simplicity and boldness seen in the utilitarian wares of the Kamakura and Muromachi periods, he created vases and flower vessels with a generous and clear-cut style. The artistic education he absorbed in his youth influenced his work. In 1954, he became the second person to be designated a Living National Treasure for Bizen ware, and in 1958, he became a director of the Japan Kogei Association. In 1977, he established the Kei Fujiwara Memorial Museum in Bizen City, Okayama Prefecture.
Major awards: Okayama Prefecture Cultural Award, Sanyo Shimbun Award, Chugoku Cultural Award, Honorary Citizen of Bizen City, Honorary Citizen of Okayama Prefecture; posthumously awarded the Order of the Sacred Treasure, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon, and Junior Fifth Rank.
This is a Bizen tea bowl by Kei Fujiwara, an artist beloved by all for a warm style that exudes both boldness and kindness. It is a very large and dynamic bowl, with powerful craftsmanship that fills the palm of your hand. The warm, reddish clay features thick *hidasuki* (fire-cord) markings and subtle, slightly matte *goma* (ash glaze) accents, creating a simple, quintessentially Bizen landscape. The delicate shifts in the clay are a delight, with beautiful variations coloring every corner of its expansive form. It is truly rich in color, with hues such as the bleeding reddish-purple at the rim and the bright brown where the coarse clay glints in the light. Original signed box (shiho-san style)
Diameter 14.0cm x Diameter 13.3cm x Height 9.8cm Kei Fujiwara (1899–1983, born in Bizen City, Okayama Prefecture) entered the world of Bizen ware at the suggestion of Atsuo Masamune, a scholar of Japanese literature living in Honami, Bizen. He received instruction in wheel-throwing and other techniques from Baikkei Mimura, and from 1941, he honed his skills by learning firing techniques from fellow Living National Treasure Toyo Kaneshige. Emulating the simplicity and boldness seen in the utilitarian wares of the Kamakura and Muromachi periods, he created vases and flower vessels with a generous and clear-cut style. The artistic education he absorbed in his youth influenced his work. In 1954, he became the second person to be designated a Living National Treasure for Bizen ware, and in 1958, he became a director of the Japan Kogei Association. In 1977, he established the Kei Fujiwara Memorial Museum in Bizen City, Okayama Prefecture.
Major awards: Okayama Prefecture Cultural Award, Sanyo Shimbun Award, Chugoku Cultural Award, Honorary Citizen of Bizen City, Honorary Citizen of Okayama Prefecture; posthumously awarded the Order of the Sacred Treasure, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon, and Junior Fifth Rank.