Kuro Mugcup

This black mug is the work of Masao Akitani, who studied under Living National Treasure Jun Isezaki and creates works brimming with unique originality amidst a new spirit. It is crafted using the black Bizen technique inherited from his mentor, Jun Isezaki, and features a wonderful black color that has a deep luster yet a warm tone. It uses black clay from Osafune Isogami, which is dissolved and applied to the surface to create the black color, while the intense sesame glaze from the wood-fired kiln mixes with the black clay to produce cobalt blue scorched sesame patterns. While the mug has a simple and standard design, the cylindrical body and the plate-like handle showcase Akitani’s signature sense of style. Paper box
Diameter 10.5cm × 7.8cm × Height 8.5cm Masao Akitani was born in Saitama in 1968. He studied under Living National Treasure Jun Isezaki starting in 1998, and after a 10-year apprenticeship, he built his own kiln in Bizen and became independent in 2008. He held his first kiln opening in 2009. He has been selected for the Tanabe Museum of Art’s Tea Ceremony Form Exhibition and the Japan Kōgei Association Chugoku Branch Exhibition, and has received awards including the Okayama Prefectural Art Exhibition Prefectural Exhibition Prize and Encouragement Award.