Imbe Tokkuri

This Ibe tokkuri (sake flask) is the work of the master craftsman Mitsuru Isezaki, who deeply loved Bizen ware and made significant contributions to the region. True to his belief that the essence of Bizen lies in the quality of the clay, Isezaki insisted on using only the finest rice-field soil. At first glance, the piece appears very simple, but a closer look reveals rich, viscous shades of shiso-purple and orange, with a light dusting of gold overglaze that further enhances the magnificent clay texture. The flask features an "akoda-gata" shape, modeled after a pumpkin with vertical ridges. This understated decoration is a perfect match for a work where the refined, earthy texture is the true star. Despite its swollen base, the akoda design makes it easy to grip by the vertical ridges, ensuring it is comfortable to hold by the body as well as the neck. Signed wooden box (shiho-san style)
Rim 4.1cm x Body diameter 9.8cm x Body diameter 9.7cm x Height 11.5cm　360cc Mitsuru Isezaki was born in 1934 as the eldest son of the intangible cultural property holder Yozan Isezaki. He learned pottery techniques from his father from a young age and majored in sculpture at Okayama University's Special Art Course. As an authentic practitioner of tea ceramics, he pursued the forms, clay textures, and firing techniques of the Momoyama period. He alternated between climbing kilns and medieval-style anagama kilns depending on the piece, and insisted on firing exclusively with split pine wood, eschewing electric or gas kilns. He became a full member of the Japan Kōgei Association in 1964 and received the Toyo Kaneshige Memorial Award in 1974. In 1994, he received the Sanyo Shimbun Cultural Merit Award, and in 1998, the 15th Tanabe Museum of Art Grand Prize. In March of that same year, he was designated as a holder of an Okayama Prefectural Important Intangible Cultural Property. He passed away in August 2011 at the age of 77.
Awards: Toyo Kaneshige Memorial Award, Okayama Prefecture Cultural Encouragement Award, Sanyo Shimbun Award, Okayama Nichinichi Shimbun Arts and Culture Merit Award, Grand Prize at the Tea Ceremony Sculpture Exhibition, and many others / Prefectural Exhibition Guest Artist