{"product_id":"p5851","title":"Bizen tea cup","description":"This is a newly fired Bizen tea cup from Living National Treasure Jun Isezaki, a master who continues to lead the Bizen ware world with an inexhaustible creative power. Fired in an anagama kiln for approximately ten days, this piece showcases the quintessential Isezaki Bizen style, featuring a beautiful interplay of goma (sesame ash glaze), hidasuki (fire-cord markings), ito-goma (thread-like ash markings), and a striking gradient between white clay and scarlet hues. The straw tied diagonally around the cup creates a sweeping hidasuki mark that encircles the entire vessel; following the flow of the straw with your eyes as you admire it makes you lose track of time. As the straw burned, it fused with the natural glaze, transforming into the ito-goma markings that preserve the delicate traces of the straw itself. These thread-like markings continue inside, tracing the path of the straw and sliding in a sharp curve toward the bottom of the cup, as if lightning had struck within. While described as a tea cup on the box, it is, of course, also perfectly suited as a beer mug.\n\nSigned wooden box (shiho-zan) with lid\u003cbr\u003e\nDiameter 7.3cm x 7.2cm x Height 9.3cm\n\nJun Isezaki was born as the second son of Yozan Isezaki, a master known for his intricate craftsmanship. He began learning ceramics from a young age and embarked on his career after graduating from the Special Art Course at Okayama University in 1959. His body of work is vast, ranging from traditional items like flower vases, plates, and tea ceremony wares to sculptural objects and ceramic wall murals. He places great emphasis on both the forming and firing processes, and his style is characterized by a modern sensibility that leverages the unique qualities of his materials and kilns (anagama, climbing, and electric kilns). He is also recognized as a leading relief artist, having unveiled numerous works. He became a full member of the Japan Kōgei Association in 1966. From 1978, he spent nine years as a lecturer in the Special Art Course at Okayama University. In 1998, he and his brother Mitsuru were both designated Holders of Important Intangible Cultural Property of Okayama Prefecture; in the same year, he began serving as the Secretary-General of the Chugoku Branch of the Japan Kōgei Association. In July 2004, he was designated a Living National Treasure (Holder of Important Intangible Cultural Property).\u003cbr\u003e\nAwards: Toyo Kaneshige Prize, Okayama Prefectural Cultural Encouragement Award, Sanyo Shimbun Award, Excellence Award at the Tea Ceremony Form Exhibition, and many others \/ Prefectural Exhibition Juror","brand":"伊勢崎 淳","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46618691108961,"sku":"5851","price":40000.0,"currency_code":"JPY","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0654\/9916\/8865\/files\/5851.jpg?v=1790240614","url":"https:\/\/www.tourakuen.jp\/en\/products\/p5851","provider":"川口陶楽苑","version":"1.0","type":"link"}