Bizen Shuhai

This is a Bizen guinomi by Yu Fujiwara, a Living National Treasure who looked beyond Japan and helped convey the appeal of Bizen ware to the world.

The style is unmistakably that of Yu Fujiwara at a glance, a work that seems to confront the viewer with a naked spirit, stripped of all superficial technique.

This is a work from his later years, after he was designated a Living National Treasure, and it shows the distinctive firing effects that are characteristic of his mature pieces.

Using the large Bota Mochi that are a hallmark of Fujiwara Bizen, the scenery of the piece is beautifully composed. A half-moon-shaped Bota Mochi is placed along the rim, balancing both visual interest and ease of use.

The underlying clay surface shows a complex blend of shiso purple, orange, and brown, over which a metallic luster, like a coating of platinum, has appeared, creating a uniquely expressive surface.

Inside, where this luminous clay character can be fully appreciated, a large Bota Mochi spreads across the entire interior. When the sake is finished, the metallic sheen begins to glow, as if a silver moon were rising from the surface of a lake.

He was born in Bizen City, Okayama Prefecture in 1932 as the eldest son of Kei Fujiwara.
He was designated a Living National Treasure in 1996.
(The first time in the ceramics world that a parent and child have both been designated.)
He passed away in 2001.