Bizen Youhen Kuro Hanaire

This is a new Bizen kiln-changed black flower vase by Takashi Baba, who was born in Imbe, has loved Bizen ware since childhood, and finds his life's joy in creating works and firing kilns. This ambitious piece combines the black Bizen and kiln-change techniques that are his specialties, with intense kiln-change effects covering almost the entire black surface. The base black is an incredibly clear, deep black, and is luxuriously accented by a hint of indigo appearing in parts, created by a very small amount of cobalt. The kiln-change, by contrast, is so intense that it is impressive the piece survived the firing at all; the frost-like white ash-covered kiln-change and the gold-dust-like yellow sesame glaze intersect violently to create a landscape unlike any I have ever seen. Signed wooden box (double-slat lid)
Diameter 8.3cm × Diameter 8.2cm × Height 17.5cm Takashi Baba was born in 1983 as the eldest son of Bizen ceramic artist Shosuke Baba. Thinking from a young age that he would become a potter, he chose to study sculpture in university to broaden his perspective on ceramics. In 2006, he graduated from the Tokyo University of the Arts with a degree in sculpture and went on to hone his skills at the Kyoto Municipal Institute of Industrial Technology and Culture. He became an independent artist in 2007 and held his first solo exhibition. He is currently active, primarily holding solo exhibitions at department stores.