Kuro Maru Sara

This is a yohen (kiln-changed) bowl by Masao Akiya, a potter who studied under Living National Treasure Jun Isezaki and creates works brimming with a unique originality within a fresh sensibility. After forming the piece with a slightly thick body, he meticulously carved out the bottom to complete its three feet. The slightly coarse clay has been revealed through this carving, and is further accentuated by the black slip applied to it. The nuke (unfired patches), hidasuki (fire-cord markings), and the circular spreading of goma (ash glaze) and black hues create an effect akin to graphic art, woven together by the application of slip and the piece's form. Paper box
Diameter 25.2cm × Diameter 25.2cm × Height 3.1cm Masao Akiya was born in Saitama in 1968. He studied under Living National Treasure Jun Isezaki starting in 1998, and after a ten-year apprenticeship, he built his own kiln in Bizen and became independent in 2008. He held his first kiln firing in 2009. His work has been selected for the Tanabe Museum of Art’s "Tea Ceremony Form" exhibition and the Japan Kōgei Association’s Chugoku Branch exhibition, and he has received awards such as the Okayama Prefectural Art Exhibition Prize and the Encouragement Award.