Bizen ware flower vase

This is a Bizen flower vase by the master craftsman Mitsuru Isezaki, who loved Bizen ware and made significant contributions to the region. Judging by the box inscription and potter's mark, this piece appears to date from his early to middle period. Its extra-large form, reminiscent of antique Bizen "imo-tokkuri" (potato-shaped sake bottles), is magnificent and serves as a masterpiece that incorporates Mitsuru's profound knowledge of antique Bizen. The broad, bulging body has been meticulously finished in the style of antique Bizen, with fine spatula marks carved across the entire surface, polished as carefully as one would a gemstone. As if the clay itself is rewarding this deliberate craftsmanship, it has developed a rich, viscous "shiso" (perilla-leaf) color evocative of antique Bizen. The front is concentratedly coated in "goma" (ash glaze), creating a cascading effect that resembles a single shooting star, making it truly spectacular. Every aspect of the work reflects the depth of Mitsuru's affection for antique Bizen. Original signed box (shiho-zan) with cover
Mouth 3.7cm × Body diameter 12.6cm × Body diameter 12.0cm × Height 21.2cm Mitsuru Isezaki was born in 1934 as the eldest son of the Intangible Cultural Property holder Yozan Isezaki. He learned pottery techniques from his father from a young age and majored in sculpture at the Okayama University Special Art Course. As an authentic practitioner of tea ceramics, he pursued the forms, clay quality, and firing techniques of the Momoyama period. Depending on the work, he used both climbing kilns and medieval-style anagama kilns, strictly insisting on firing with pine wood and eschewing electric or gas kilns. He became a regular member of the Japan Kōgei Association in 1964 and received the Kaneshige Tōyō Prize 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 designated as a holder of an Okayama Prefectural Important Intangible Cultural Property. He passed away in August 2011 at the age of 77.
Awards: Kaneshige Tōyō Prize, Okayama Prefecture Cultural Encouragement Award, Sanyo Shimbun Award, Okayama Nichinichi Shimbun Arts and Culture Merit Award, Grand Prize at the Tea Ceremony Form Exhibition, and many others / Prefectural Exhibition Guest Artist