Bizen Guinomi

A new black Guinomi by Masahiro Miyao, who trained in Imbe (Bizen). While Miyao continues to present Bizen pieces alongside his black works, this example is especially striking for the beautiful indigo that emerges across the surface.

In conventional black-slip pieces, blue may appear only within areas of unique fire pattern such as scorch marks; here, however, the indigo seems to bloom from the entire body, revealing anew the depth of black ware. Not all of the black has shifted to indigo—the mikomi (interior) retains a deep, lucid black clay tone, creating a quietly mysterious palette.

A generous flow of natural ash glaze descends over the front, pulling the black slip along with it. The shell placed to prevent fusion during firing has caught the flow and formed a dramatic, oversized shell mark reminiscent of a suction cup.

Because the form makes extensive use of spatula cuts, the gradations of natural ash and indigo play across the planes of the vessel, adding further dimensionality to its superb coloration.

He was born in 1970 in Fukuoka Prefecture.
He became a potter in Okayama Prefecture in 1991.
He has been a disciple of Yuichi Yamamoto since 1995.
He became independent as a potter in 2001.