Bizen tea bowl

This is an earlier Bizen tea bowl by Tomoyuki Matsui, an instructor who also taught future generations at the Ceramics Center. It is generously covered in a deep, golden-colored *goma* (sesame glaze) created from 100% split pine wood; while the *goma* is a classic aesthetic, it possesses a magnificent atmosphere. The clay body is well-fired with a pale gold sheen, and its faint, glowing pink hue is truly wonderful. The lightly undulating rim reflects the skill of Mr. Matsui, an instructor, showcasing a refined form that serves as a model for tea bowl craftsmanship and appears very easy to handle. (This was likely produced around 1995; while there is almost no sense of use, please be aware that it is an earlier work.) Signed wooden box (shiho-zan type)
Diameter 11.9cm × Diameter 11.8cm × Height 8.5cm Tomoyuki Matsui entered the National Kyoto Ceramics Laboratory in 1949, where he studied all aspects of pottery. After working for five years at the Kumamoto Prefectural Industrial Research Institute, he returned to Kyoto and studied under Yoshimitsu Morino, a Kiyomizu-ware artist and Nitten exhibition judge. In 1960, during his training, he was invited by the then-Governor of Okayama Prefecture, Yukiharu Miki, to join the Okayama Prefectural Industrial Research Institute's Ceramics Guidance Center. He devoted his efforts to cultivating young artists, eventually resigning as director to become independent in 1978.
His firing is based on natural glazes and a *shiso* (perilla) color. He also creates vibrant Bizen ware using unique techniques derived from his experience as a Kyo-ware artist, including *neriage* (marbled clay), where two types of clay are kneaded together, as well as gold, silver, and indigo decorative glazes.
1969: Full member of the Japan Kōgei Association. 1996: Designated as a Holder of Important Intangible Cultural Property of Okayama Prefecture. 1997: Exhibited at the Bizen Ware Paris Exhibition. Awards: Recipient of the Toyo Kaneshige Prize, Okayama Prefecture Cultural Award, Okayama Prefecture Cultural Encouragement Award, Sanyo Shimbun Award, and many others / Prefectural Exhibition Judge