Bizen Kuro Guinomi

This is a freshly fired Bizen black sake cup by Living National Treasure Jun Isezaki, who continues to lead the world of Bizen ware with an inexhaustible creative power. This latest piece from the spring 2018 kiln opening combines the sharpness of the black slip with the dynamic finish of an anagama wood-fired kiln. Thoroughly exposed to the baptism of flames from the back, the high-quality pine firewood has caused gold-dust-like yellow sesame ash to overflow onto the front, forming a magnificent beaded glaze pattern. The beaded glaze, which resembles a chunk of obsidian, is incredibly beautiful, and the majestic landscape of gold and black is so rich in variation that one could gaze at it forever. The waist of the piece incorporates Jun Isezaki’s signature "uchimon" (beaten) technique, in which the vessel is shaped into a gentle pentagon while being inscribed with line patterns, a form made even more dynamic by the intense heat of the flames. Signed wooden box to follow (please allow some time for shipping)
Diameter 6.9cm x Diameter 6.4cm x Height 7.0cm Jun Isezaki was born as the second son of Yozan Isezaki, a master of ceramic craftwork, and began learning pottery from a young age before entering the professional path after graduating from the Okayama University Art Department in 1959. His body of work is vast, ranging from traditional items such as vases, plates, and tea ceremony wares to sculptural objects and ceramic wall murals. He places great emphasis on both shaping and firing, utilizing the unique characteristics of his materials and kilns (anagama, climbing, and electric kilns) to create works filled with a contemporary sensibility. He is also a leading figure in relief art, having presented numerous works in this field. He became a full member of the Japan Kōgei Association in 1966. For nine years starting in 1978, he served as a special art instructor at Okayama University. In 1998, he and his brother, Mitsuru Isezaki, were both designated as Okayama Prefecture Important Intangible Cultural Property holders, and in the same year, he became the Secretary General of the Chugoku Branch of the Japan Kōgei Association. In July 2004, he was designated as a Holder of Important Intangible Cultural Property (Living National Treasure).
Awards/Achievements: Recipient of the Kaneshige Toyo Prize, Okayama Prefecture Cultural Encouragement Award, Sanyo Shimbun Prize, Excellence Award at the Tea Ceremony Form Exhibition, and many others / Served as a judge for the prefectural exhibition