Bizen Sakazuki

This is a newly fired Bizen sake cup by Koichiro Isezaki, who was born as the eldest son of Living National Treasure Jun Isezaki and who is breathing new life into the Bizen ware world with his exceptional sense and masterful sculpting ability. This sake cup is a relatively rare form among Koichiro-sensei's works; its design, which resembles a sphere split vertically, is simple yet has a profound impact. While a novel piece, it firmly adheres to the principles of a sake cup, with the interior featuring a landscape centered around a shell mark that resembles an angel's wing. Because it was fired covered like a hat, it has received an abundance of natural glaze, creating a beautiful contrast where the yellow *goma* (sesame ash glaze) from 100% pine wood firing intertwines with the white *kase-goma* (matte ash glaze) generated by the intense firing. Signed wooden box (shiho-san)
Diameter 8.1cm x 7.8cm x Height 3.9cm Koichiro Isezaki was born in Bizen City, Okayama Prefecture, as the eldest son of Living National Treasure Jun Isezaki. The Isezaki family has produced many ceramic artists, led by his grandfather Yozan Isezaki, Mitsuru Isezaki, and Jun Isezaki. After graduating from the Tokyo Zokei University sculpture department in 1994, Koichiro Isezaki studied abroad in the United States. He studied ceramics for about two years under his father's apprentice, Jeff Shapiro, a ceramic artist based in New York City, which greatly broadened his perspective on art and ceramics. After returning to Japan in 2000, he became an independent ceramic artist under his father.