Black raku tea bowl (hikidashi-guro)

This *hikidashi-guro* (pulled-black) tea bowl is by Masao Akitani, an artist who studied under Living National Treasure Jun Isezaki and creates works brimming with a unique originality rooted in a fresh sensibility. The piece is deeply striking, with cascading layers of natural glaze that evoke the sight of rain streaming down a windowpane on a stormy day. This "downpour" of natural glaze displays varying shades across the surface, resulting in the unpredictable kiln transformations characteristic of *hikidashi-guro* that remain endlessly fascinating. A generous pool of natural glaze has also collected in the deep, bowl-shaped interior, creating a magnificent landscape reminiscent of amber. Original signed box to follow (please allow some time for shipping).
Diameter 12.5cm × Diameter 11.9cm × Height 11.0cm Masao Akitani was born in Saitama in 1968. He studied under Living National Treasure Jun Isezaki starting in 1998, and after ten years of training, 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 Chugoku Branch Exhibition, and he has received awards such as the Okayama Prefectural Art Exhibition Prize and the Encouragement Prize.