Bizen white sake pourer

This is a new white sake server by Koichiro Isezaki, who was born as the eldest son of Living National Treasure Jun Isezaki and who breathes new life into the world of Bizen ware with his exceptional sense and masterful sculpting ability. It is a masterpiece imbued with a message that can only be expressed through earthenware, showcasing Koichiro-sensei’s signature style of creating diverse expressions that make the most of the clay's natural texture. It uses Ibe white clay, which Koichiro-sensei fell in love with, and by tearing two large clay spheres in half and joining them together to form a spherical shape, the tear marks and the joint between the two halves have transformed into a striking landscape that serves as the face of the clay. The characteristics of the white clay are clearly displayed; the areas covered by natural ash glaze reveal a soft milky white, while the other areas exhibit a pale champagne gold earth tone, with the white clay’s varied shifts ensuring the viewer never tires of looking at it. The yellow sesame-like ash glaze that has fallen onto the rim reacts with the white clay to resemble Karatsu straw-ash glaze, rising from the glass-like natural glaze coating of the entire surface like a white flame. With a capacity of just over 180ml (approx. one go), it is a masterpiece that is both easy to use for evening drinks and features an excellent pour. Signed wooden box (shiho-san) included
Diameter 13.8cm x Diameter 10.4cm x Height 7.9cm　Capacity approx. 180ml Koichiro Isezaki was born as the eldest son of Living National Treasure Jun Isezaki. The Isezaki family is a prestigious name in Bizen ware; his grandfather was the Intangible Cultural Property holder Yozan Isezaki, and his uncle was the Intangible Cultural Property holder Mitsuru Isezaki, and he himself aspired to pottery from an early age. After graduating from the sculpture department of Tokyo Zokei University in 1994, he studied abroad in the United States. He studied pottery for about two years under Jeff Shapiro, a potter based in New York City, which greatly broadened his perspective on art and pottery. After returning to Japan in 2000, he worked diligently at his craft under the guidance of his father and his father's apprentices. In 2002, he submitted work to the Tanabe Museum of Art’s Tea Ceremony Exhibition for the first time, where it was selected.