Bizen Mimitsuki Hanaire

This is a Bizen flower vase by the first Living National Treasure and the great restorer of Bizen ware, Toyo Kaneshige. True to his reputation as the restorer of Bizen, this piece is packed with elements that can be called the fountainhead of modern Bizen pottery. The brilliant yellow "goma" (ash glaze) is particularly magnificent; this work represents the break from the dark, soot-covered Bizen ware of the past to establish the standard we see today. Complementing the golden goma is a vivid scarlet "hidasuki" (fire cord) pattern; the striking colors that catch the eye from time to time remain seared in one's memory. While this is a somewhat smaller piece among Toyo Kaneshige's flower vases, the elegant yellow goma and hidasuki scenery suit it perfectly, lending it a graceful presence that is only possible due to its compact size. Box identified by Kosuke (shiho-san box)
Diameter 10.8cm x 10.4cm x Height 23.8cm Toyo Kaneshige (1896–1967, born in Inbe, Bizen City) was born the eldest son of Baiyo Kaneshige, from a branch family of the Kaneshige clan, one of the six traditional Bizen pottery families. He studied under his father and rose to fame for his handcrafted teapots (hohin). Through extensive research from the Taisho to early Showa periods, he succeeded in recreating the clay texture of Momoyama-period Bizen ware. Around that time, he began using a potter's wheel and turned his efforts to creating tea ceramics. He deepened his friendships with Handeishi Kawakita, Toyozo Arakawa, and Kyusetsu Miwa, and after the war, he expanded his artistic range under the influence of Rosanjin Kitaoji and Isamu Noguchi. For these achievements, he is known as the restorer of Bizen ware. He was the first Bizen potter to be designated a holder of an Important Intangible Cultural Property, and in 1964 and 1966, he was invited as a summer university lecturer at the University of Hawaii. In 1967, he performed a pottery demonstration before Emperor Showa and Empress Kojun during their visit to Bizen.
Major awards include the Chugoku Cultural Award, the Sanyo Shimbun Award, the Okayama Prefecture Cultural Award, the Medal with Purple Ribbon, and the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette.