Kuro Yunomi

This is a new black tea cup by Masao Akitani, an artist who studied under Living National Treasure Jun Isezaki and creates works brimming with his own unique originality while embracing a fresh spirit. It is crafted using the Kuro-Bizen (black Bizen) technique inherited from his mentor, Jun Isezaki, resulting in a black hue that is wonderfully charming, possessing both a deep luster and a sense of warmth. The piece is made using black clay from Osafune Isokami, which is dissolved into a slip and applied to the surface to create the black color; the beauty of this black is further refined and evolved into a deep, glossy finish by the flames of the kiln. The spatula marks, carved with consistent spacing and depth, are stylishly executed, making this an avant-garde tea cup that truly embodies the signature style of the Isezaki school. Paper box
Diameter 7.9cm × 7.7cm × Height 9.0cm Masao Akitani was born in Saitama in 1968. He began studying under Living National Treasure Jun Isezaki in 1998, and after ten years of training, he built his own kiln in Bizen and became independent in 2008. He held his first kiln firing in 2009. His works have been selected for the Tanabe Museum of Art’s "Tea Ceremony Modeling Exhibition" and the Japan Kogei Association Chugoku Branch Exhibition, and he has received awards including the Prefectural Exhibition Prize and the Encouragement Prize at the Okayama Prefectural Art Exhibition.