Bizen incense container

This is a Bizen incense container by the master craftsman Mitsuaki Hibata (Kōken-jin), a native of Bizen who made significant contributions to the region as both a researcher and an artist, leaving behind a legacy of numerous achievements. This incense container features the gold-decorated Bizen style, a specialty of Master Hibata, and its pearlescent orange glowing surface possesses a presence that makes it hard to believe it is made of ceramic. While the overall color is pearlescent orange, the piece showcases the masterful interplay of flames characteristic of Bizen ware, with pearlescent pink accents on the edges and strong silver sangiri (kiln alteration) at the base. Although it is a simple leaf shape, it is finished with meticulous attention to every detail, and the precision of the inner joining clearly reflects the impeccable workmanship of a true master. Signed wooden box (shiho-zan style)
Diameter 7.5cm × Diameter 6.5cm × Height 2.9cm Master Mitsuaki Hibata was a prominent figure who hailed from a family of chief priests at Amatsu Shrine, the tutelary deity of the pottery town in the heart of Imbe, Bizen City. He was renowned as both a Bizen ceramic artist and a local historian specializing in the study of Bizen ware. His notable publications include the "History of Imbe Town," "History of Bizen Ware," and "Appreciation of Bizen Ware." While pursuing local historical research, he began visiting famous potters in his spare time around 1960 to refine his techniques, eventually inheriting the ancestral "Amatsu Kiln" and dedicating himself to the path of ceramics. In 1968, while serving as the director of the Bizen City Public Hall, he received a commendation from the Minister of Education for his outstanding achievements and was honored with an audience with the Emperor at the Imperial Palace. He retired from his post as director in 1970 to focus entirely on his pottery, receiving the Okayama Prefecture Education and Culture Merit Award that same year. In 1975, he became a full member of the Japan Kōgei Association after having his work selected for the Japan Traditional Art Crafts Exhibition four times. He began his research into gold decoration in 1979 and presented a gold-decorated tea bowl to Ise Jingu Shrine in 1980. He was awarded the Okayama Nichinichi Shimbun Culture Prize in 1985 and received a commendation from the Prefectural Governor as an outstanding skilled artisan in 1988, contributing greatly to the development of cultural education as the chairman of the Bizen City Cultural Property Protection Committee. He passed away in 2002, deeply mourned by many.