Kuroshuten

This is a black sake cup by Koichiro Isezaki, who was born as the eldest son of Living National Treasure Jun Isezaki and has brought a breath of fresh air to the world of Bizen ware with his extraordinary sense and skillful sculpting ability. By making three scratches that appear to tear the clay and then expanding the clay into a three-dimensional form, he evokes the memory etched into the clay, creating a unique, jagged cracked texture. The foot, created indirectly, is a highly unusual expression; it is a unique foot characteristic of Koichiro Isezaki, where the mechanism is triggered only after being carved into the clay. The non-glossy, matte "kase-goma" (dry sesame) glaze covers the entire piece like a crispy film, and partial kiln-turned hues of ultramarine create a profound worldview reminiscent of black raku ware.

View blog post about this sake cup Signed wooden box (shiho-zan type)
Diameter 8.7cm × Diameter 8.2cm × Height 6.0cm Koichiro Isezaki was born as the eldest son of Living National Treasure Jun Isezaki. The Isezaki family is a prestigious name in Bizen ware; his grandfather was Intangible Cultural Property holder Yozan Isezaki, and his uncle was Intangible Cultural Property holder Mitsuru Isezaki, and he aspired to pottery from an early age. After graduating from the sculpture department of Tokyo Zokei University in 1994, he studied abroad in the United States. He studied pottery for about two years under Jeff Shapiro, a potter based in New York City, which greatly broadened his perspective on art and ceramics. After returning to Japan in 2000, he trained under the guidance of his father and his father's disciples. In 2002, he submitted his work to the Tanabe Museum of Art Tea Ceremony Exhibition for the first time, where it was selected.