Ibe Guinomi

This is an Imbe guinomi (sake cup) by the master craftsman Mitsuru Isezaki, who loved Bizen ware and made significant contributions to Bizen. The simple style, typical of Mitsuru-sensei, possesses a charm that is approachable and rustic, making it easy to use in daily life. The clay, fired to a slightly firm finish, appears to shimmer with a faint purple hue. Its orthodox form ensures it will never grow tiresome, allowing it to be enjoyed for many years to come. Signed wooden box (double-slat lid)
Diameter 6.5cm × 6.4cm × Height 6.1cm Born in 1934 as the eldest son of Intangible Cultural Property holder Yozan Isezaki, Mitsuru Isezaki learned pottery techniques from his father at a young age and majored in sculpture at the Okayama University Special Art Course. As an authentic tea ceramic artist, he pursued Momoyama-style forms, clay textures, and firing techniques. He selectively used climbing kilns and medieval anagama kilns for his works, never using electric or gas kilns, as he was dedicated to firing with pine wood. He became a regular member of the Japan Kōgei Association in 1964 and received the Toyo Kaneshige Award in 1974. In 1994, he received the Sanyo Shimbun Cultural Merit Award, and in 1998, he won the 15th Tanabe Museum of Art Grand Prize. In March of that same year, he was certified as a Prefectural Designated Important Intangible Cultural Property holder. He passed away in August 2011 at the age of 77.
Awards received: Toyo Kaneshige Award, Okayama Prefectural Cultural Encouragement Award, Sanyo Shimbun Award, Okayama Nichinichi Shimbun Art and Culture Merit Award, Grand Prize at the Tea Ceremony Form Exhibition, and many others / Invited contributor to prefectural exhibitions