Bizen Yunomi

This is a brand new Bizen ware yunomi (tea cup) that has just been fired in the kiln by Koichiro Isezaki, an artist who is breathing new life into the world of Bizen ware with his extraordinary sense and skillful sculpting ability, born as the eldest son of Living National Treasure Jun Isezaki. This piece was fired by wrapping it in straw and sealing it, resulting in a soft finish featuring only *hidasuki* (fire-cord) markings, with no *goma* (ash glaze) present at all. Gentle, spreading *hidasuki* patterns adorn the waist and the interior, creating a quiet world consisting only of the white of the clay and the red of the fire-cord. Simple, minimal, and distilled down to the absolute essentials, this work possesses a perfected worldview and could be called a sort of ultimate form for a piece of earthenware. It is a masterpiece that invites you to appreciate its soft surface while enjoying the process of "nurturing" its delicate texture over time. Signed wooden box to be provided at a later date (please allow some time for shipment).
Diameter 7.7cm × 7.7cm × Height 9.7cm Koichiro Isezaki was born as the eldest son of Living National Treasure Jun Isezaki. The Isezaki family is a prestigious name in Bizen ware; his grandfather was the Intangible Cultural Property holder Yozan Isezaki, and his uncle was the Intangible Cultural Property holder Mitsuru Isezaki, so he aspired to become a potter from an early age. After graduating from the sculpture department of Tokyo Zokei University in 1994, he studied abroad in the United States. He studied ceramics for about two years under Jeff Shapiro, a potter based in New York City, which greatly broadened his perspective on art and pottery. After returning to Japan in 2000, he trained under his father's guidance alongside his father’s students. In 2002, he exhibited for the first time at the Tanabe Museum of Art’s Tea Ceremony Exhibition, where his work was selected.