Bizen black sake bottle

This is a brand new black sake bottle, freshly taken from the kiln by Masao Akitani, an artist who studied under Living National Treasure Jun Isezaki and creates works overflowing with unique originality within a modern spirit. This is the first new work from Masao Akitani in approximately two years since his last firing. The surface, finished with the black slip traditional to the Isezaki school, is covered in such a thick layer of high-temperature sesame glaze that the intense scenery almost entirely obscures the black base. The sesame glaze blended with the black has transformed into a dark brown hue, pooling at the front under the influence of gravity to create black "kuro-dama" (black bead) drips. Furthermore, shells were placed on the front during the firing, leaving marks that appear as wine-red gradations. The overall form is sharp, and it is a delightful size, perfect for a single person. Signed wooden box to follow (please allow some time for shipping)
Rim 5.0cm × Body diameter including drips 8.0cm × Body diameter 7.8cm × Height 14.7cm Capacity approx. 240cc Masao Akitani was born in Saitama in 1968. In 1998, he began an apprenticeship under Living National Treasure Jun Isezaki. After ten years of training, he built his own kiln and became independent in Bizen 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’s Chugoku Branch exhibition, and he has received awards including the Okayama Prefectural Art Exhibition Prize and the Encouragement Prize.