Bizen Shiro Hai

This white Bizen cup was created by Koichiro Isezaki, who was born as the eldest son of Living National Treasure Jun Isezaki and who has brought a fresh breeze to the world of Bizen ware with his exceptional sense and masterful sculpting skills. The work is made by firing a special white clay from Ibe without the use of any glaze, resulting in a piece where even the "goma" (ash glaze) has turned white. The generous amount of goma applied to the front reacted with the white clay, creating a unique, cloudy white hue reminiscent of Karatsu straw ash glaze. Other areas appear as if they have been thinly coated with a transparent glaze; this detail alone reveals the subtlety of the white clay’s reaction to the goma, helping one understand the profound allure of white clay that has captivated Isezaki. In the interior, there is a natural glaze with a hue similar to Bizen’s yellow goma, yet it possesses a creamier, more mysterious color. The bold, pentagonal cut of the foot reflects the brilliance of Isezaki's sculpting talent. Signed wooden box (shiho-san)
Diameter 8.8cm × 8.7cm × Height 4.5cm Koichiro Isezaki was born the eldest son of Living National Treasure Jun Isezaki. The Isezaki family is a prestigious line of Bizen ware potters, with his grandfather being the Intangible Cultural Property holder Yozan Isezaki and his uncle the Intangible Cultural Property holder Mitsuru Isezaki; Koichiro himself aspired to be a potter from an early age. After graduating from the Department of Sculpture at Tokyo Zokei University in 1994, he studied abroad in the United States. He spent approximately two years studying pottery under New York-based potter Jeff Shapiro, significantly broadening his perspective on art and ceramics. After returning to Japan in 2000, he trained under the guidance of his father alongside his father's apprentices. In 2002, he made his first submission to the Tanabe Museum of Art’s Tea Ceremony Exhibition, where his work was selected for the first time.