Bizen Guinomi

This Bizen sake cup is by the master craftsman Mitsuru Isezaki, who loved Bizen ware and made immense contributions to the Bizen region. True to his belief that the beauty of Bizen lies in the quality of the clay, and his dedication to using high-grade rice paddy soil, this piece appears very simple at first glance; yet, take a closer look and you will find rich, viscous shades of shiso-purple and orange, with a light gold glaze further enhancing the magnificent texture of the clay. The simple finish of the sesame (goma) and sangiri (kiln-altered) effects is truly refined, creating a scene that embodies the classic Bizen style. The deep, heavy sangiri effect merges in places with the black sesame, creating a dreamlike landscape reminiscent of white and dark clouds swirling together. While it is somewhat wide and large, it has a pleasant, balanced feel in the hand. Signed wooden box (shiho-san) included
Diameter 6.3cm x Diameter 6.2cm x Height 6.0cm Born in 1934 as the eldest son of the holder of intangible cultural property Yozan Isezaki, Mitsuru Isezaki learned pottery from his father from a young age and majored in sculpture at the Okayama University Special Art Course. As an authentic master of tea ceramics, he pursued the forms, clay qualities, and firing techniques of the Momoyama period. He utilized both climbing kilns and medieval-style tunnel kilns depending on the work, never using electric or gas kilns, and insisted on firing with pine wood. He became a regular member of the Japan Kōgei Association in 1964 and received the Kaneshige Toyo Award in 1974. In 1994, he received the Sanyo Shimbun Cultural Merit Award, and in 1998, the 15th Tanabe Art Museum Grand Prize. That same March, 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 Toyo 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 / Prefectural Exhibition Guest Artist