{"product_id":"p5766","title":"Bizen ware teacup","description":"This is a slightly older Bizen tea cup by Living National Treasure Jun Isezaki, an artist who continues to lead the Bizen ware world with an inexhaustible creative spirit. Unusually for his standard tea cups, this piece features a slim form, and the design of the foot has been altered to include a spatula mark in the center. In terms of firing, it showcases the hallmark Isezaki Bizen finish, featuring a gradation of sesame glaze (goma), fire-cord (hidasuki), and white clay. With rice straw wrapped diagonally around the piece, the hidasuki creates a pattern that encircles the entire work, drawing the eye to follow its flow until one loses track of time. Furthermore, as the straw burned, it fused with the natural glaze, transforming into a pattern known as \"ito-goma\" (thread sesame) while retaining the shape of the straw. The interior also features a dusting of powder-like sesame, adding great depth to the work. (*Although this is an older piece, there are no signs of use or stains.)\n\nSigned wooden box (shiho-zan style)\u003cbr\u003e\nDiameter 7.2cm × 6.8cm × Height 10.4cm\n\nJun Isezaki was born the second son of Yozan Isezaki, a master known for his intricate ceramic works. He learned pottery from a young age and began his career after graduating from the Special Fine Arts Course at Okayama University in 1959. His body of work is wide-ranging, encompassing traditional pieces such as vases, plates, and tea ceramics, as well as sculptural ceramic walls and objects. In his production, he emphasizes both the shaping process and the firing. He is known for a style that overflows with a contemporary sensibility, leveraging the unique characteristics of his materials and kilns (anagama, climbing kilns, and electric kilns). He is also a leading figure in relief art, having unveiled numerous works in this medium. In 1966, he became a regular member of the Japan Kōgei Association. He served as a special lecturer in fine arts at Okayama University for nine years starting in 1978. In 1998, he and his brother, Mitsuru, were both designated as Holders of Important Intangible Cultural Property of Okayama Prefecture, and in the same year, he became the secretary general of the Chugoku branch of the Japan Kōgei Association. He was named a Holder of Important Intangible Cultural Property (Living National Treasure) in July 2004.\u003cbr\u003e\nAwards: Numerous honors including the Kaneshige Toyo Award, Okayama Prefecture Cultural Encouragement Award, Sanyo Shimbun Award, and the Excellence Award at the Tea Ceremony Sculpture Exhibition; served as a judge for the Prefectural Exhibition.","brand":"伊勢崎 淳","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46618689503329,"sku":"5766","price":37500.0,"currency_code":"JPY","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0654\/9916\/8865\/files\/5766.jpg?v=1790240536","url":"https:\/\/tourakuen.myshopify.com\/en\/products\/p5766","provider":"川口陶楽苑","version":"1.0","type":"link"}