Ibe-ware Lei Cha Kensui (waste water bowl)

This is an Ibe-yaki *kensui* (waste water bowl) by Michiaki Kaneshige, who was born as the eldest son of the master Toyo Kaneshige and captivated everyone with a style that incorporated his own unique sensibilities into tradition. Without any excessive ornamentation, his pottery-making reflects a sincere approach, resulting in a magnificent *kensui* that embodies the "harmony" and "dignity" essential to tea ceremony utensils. Despite its function as a waste bowl, this superb work is so rich in the variety of its clay texture that one cannot help but pull it closer to appreciate it. It is packed with a wide variety of Bizen kiln transformations, including *shiso*-iro (perilla color), *kinsai* (gold highlights), *hidasuki* (fire-cord markings), *ao-agari* (blue-toned effects), and *sangiri* (kiln-floor variations), all of which are of an extremely high standard, making the clay itself appear remarkably vibrant. Original signed box (shiho-zan lid)
Diameter 16.2cm x Diameter 16.1cm x Height 9.0cm Michiaki Kaneshige (1934–1995) was born in Inbe as the eldest son of Living National Treasure Toyo Kaneshige. In 1955, he graduated from the Crafts Department of Kanazawa College of Art. He became a ceramic artist under the tutelage of his father, Toyo. From 1957, he was selected for the Asahi Contemporary Ceramics Exhibition three times in a row. He was also selected for the Nitten Exhibition, and in 1960, he toured various parts of the United States to study ceramics. In 1969, he became a regular member of the Japan Kogei Association, and in 1970, he received the Toyo Kaneshige Award. In 1973, he was appointed as a member of the Issuikai Ceramics Department, in 1980 he received the Japan Ceramic Society Award, and in 1990, he was officially designated as an Okayama Prefecture Important Intangible Cultural Property. He specialized in tea ceramics and also created works such as bowls with geometric forms. He also exhibited his work at exhibitions overseas.