Kuroshuten

This is a black sake cup by Koichiro Isezaki, who was born as the eldest son of Living National Treasure Jun Isezaki and who breathes new life into the world of Bizen ware with his exceptional sense and masterful sculpting ability. The work combines the "black" technique, which represents the Isezaki family, with novel, innovative forms. The evenly spaced grooves combined with the spherical base give the piece an impression reminiscent of a marine organism. This mysterious form, which looks as though it might inflate if air were blown into it, was created using the "kurinuki" (hollowing out) technique, where the piece is carved from a thick block of clay. Signed wooden box (shiho-san style)
Diameter 8.0cm × Diameter 7.8cm × Height 6.6cm Koichiro Isezaki was born as the eldest son of Living National Treasure Jun Isezaki. The Isezaki family is a prestigious line of Bizen ware potters; his grandfather was the intangible cultural property holder Yozan Isezaki, and his uncle was the intangible cultural property holder Mitsuru Isezaki. Koichiro aspired to become a potter from an early age. After graduating from the Department of Sculpture at Tokyo Zokei University in 1994, he studied abroad in the United States. He studied ceramics for about two years under Jeff Shapiro, a potter based in New York City, which greatly broadened his perspective on art and ceramics. After returning to Japan in 2000, he trained under the guidance of his father alongside his father's apprentices. In 2002, he submitted his work to the Tanabe Museum of Art Tea Ceremony Exhibition for the first time, where it was selected.