Imbe Tokkuri

Mitsuru Isezaki is one of the potters who inherited the Bizen ware tradition redeveloped by Toyo Kanesige.
His pottery style is simple and undecorated, designed to showcase the inherent quality of the clay.
This Tokkuri (sake bottle) was sealed and fired inside a fireclay box or within another vessel.
Through his skillful management of the fire and the selection of high-quality clay, he achieved the dark-colored hidasuki markings reminiscent of antique Bizen ware.
This Tokkuri was shaped on a potter's wheel, left to dry slightly, and then refined by removing excess clay with a wooden spatula.
This process lent the surface a softer texture, resulting in a piece you will want to cherish forever.

He was born in Bizen City, Okayama Prefecture, in 1934.
He was recognized as an Important Intangible Cultural Property by the prefecture in 1998.
He passed away in 2011.