Bizen black sake cup

This is a new black sake cup by Living National Treasure Jun Isezaki, an artist who continues to lead the Bizen ware world with an inexhaustible creative power. It features the glossy, translucent, deep black hue that is characteristic of Isezaki-sensei’s black works. The yellow sesame glaze (goma), which stands out vividly against the black clay body, has been transformed into scorched sesame through high-temperature firing, coloring the piece with powerful effect. Other highlights include the blue hues peeking through the gaps in the sesame glaze and the blue discoloration of the natural ash glaze (vidro) inside the cup. Signed wooden box (shiho-san)
Diameter 6.9cm × 6.7cm × Height 6.8cm Jun Isezaki was born the second son of Yozan Isezaki, a master of ceramic craft. He learned pottery from a young age and began his career in earnest after graduating from the Okayama University Special Art Course in 1959. His body of work is vast, ranging from traditional items like vases, plates, and tea ceremony utensils to ceramic walls and sculptural objects. In his creative process, he places great importance on both shaping and firing. He is known for a style overflowing with contemporary sensibility that makes the most of the characteristics of his materials and kilns (anagama, climbing kilns, and electric kilns). He is also recognized as a leading figure in relief art, having unveiled numerous works. He became a regular member of the Japan Kogeikai in 1966 and served as a special art instructor at Okayama University for nine years starting in 1978. In 1998, he and his brother Mitsuru were both certified as Holders of Important Intangible Cultural Properties of Okayama Prefecture, and in the same year, he began serving as the Secretary General of the Chugoku Branch of the Japan Kogeikai. In July 2004, he was designated a Holder of an Important Intangible Cultural Property by the national government.
Awards: Numerous awards including the Kaneshige Toyo Prize, Okayama Prefectural Cultural Encouragement Award, Sanyo Shimbun Award, and the Excellence Award at the Tea Ceremony Modeling Exhibition / Prefectural Exhibition Judge