Bizen Black Rice Bowl

This is a Bizen black rice bowl by Masao Akiya, an artist who studied under Living National Treasure Jun Isezaki and creates works brimming with his own unique originality within a new spirit. This piece unites the new sensibilities cultivated under Jun Isezaki with the artist’s own desire, as a pottery enthusiast himself, to pursue ease of use. While aiming for a novel black rice bowl unlike anything seen before, the artist chose not to let the cold black dominate, but instead featured warm *hidaski* (fire-cord) and *goma* (ash glaze) patterns to ensure the piece is practical. Created using the *kabuse-yaki* (covered firing) technique, it features vivid *hidaski* markings that stand out sharply against a clean white background. Paper box
Diameter 12.8cm x 12.8cm x Height 6.1cm Masao Akiya 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 opening in 2009. His work has been selected for the Tanabe Art Museum’s Tea Ceremony Modeling Exhibition and the Japan Kōgei Association Chugoku Branch Exhibition, and he has received awards including the Okayama Prefectural Art Exhibition Prize and the Encouragement Prize.