Bizen Guinomi

This is a Bizen sake cup by the master craftsman Mitsuru Isezaki, a man who loved Bizen ware and made significant contributions to the region. True to his reputation for insisting on using high-quality rice field clay because he believed the beauty of Bizen ware lies in the quality of the clay, the cup may look very simple at first glance, but a closer look reveals rich, viscous shiso-purple and orange hues. The addition of a thin gold glaze further enhances the wonderful character of the clay. The simple "goma" (sesame) glaze and "sangiri" (fire-scorched) effects are truly sophisticated, creating a quintessential Bizen aesthetic. The particularly substantial sangiri effect merges with the black goma in places, creating a mystical appearance as if white and black clouds were mingling. It is a slightly wide and large sake cup, yet it has a comfortable weight in the hand. Signed wooden box (shiho-san style)
Diameter 7.1cm × Diameter 6.8cm × Height 6.5cm Mitsuru Isezaki was born in 1934 as the eldest son of the holder of intangible cultural property 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 a master of authentic tea ceramics, he pursued Momoyama-style forms, clay textures, and firing techniques. Depending on the piece, he used both climbing kilns and medieval anagama kilns, never using electric or gas kilns, and insisted on firing with pine wood. He became a full member of the Japan Kōgei Association in 1964 and received the Toyo Kaneshige 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: Toyo Kaneshige Prize, 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 exhibitor at the prefectural exhibition