Hikidashi-guro sake bottle

This is a *hikidashi-guro* (drawn-black) sake bottle by Masao Akitani, an artist who studied under Living National Treasure Jun Isezaki and creates works brimming with original sensibility within a new artistic spirit. To achieve the *hikidashi* effect, the piece was placed near the stoking mouth of the kiln, where it took the full force of the gusts of fire to produce a magnificent glaze drip. The drawing process renders the ash droplets a clear, obsidian-like black that is sure to captivate all who behold it. The rounded form, reminiscent of the human body, pairs perfectly with its slightly tilted neck. Signed wooden box (shiho-san style)
Rim 3.7cm × body diameter including glaze drip 9.4cm × body diameter 9.2cm × height 15.4cm; Capacity approx. 430cc Masao Akitani was born in Saitama in 1968. He apprenticed 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 "Forms of Tea Ceremony" exhibition and the Japan Kōgei Association Chugoku Branch exhibition, and he has received awards including the Okayama Prefectural Art Exhibition Award and an Encouragement Award.