22570 Kato Tokuro (Shino tea bowl (with box, Shigetaka Noriyuki)) KATO Tokuro

Height 7.5cm Diameter 13.0cm

*Currently under negotiation

Kato Tokuro was born in 1897 (Meiji 30) as the eldest son into a family that made a living from the pottery industry while also working on farming. From an early age, he would frequent his father's pottery factory, playing with soil and other activities. At the age of 17, he rented part of his father's pottery factory, creating an environment where he could start making pottery in earnest. He married at the age of 21, and began researching Seto ware that same year. From the age of 33 (1930), he created "ceramic walls" that aimed to combine architecture and pottery, and these were later installed in the Aichi Prefectural Government Building. At the age of 55, his Oribe ware skills were recognized, and he was designated an intangible cultural property holder (living national treasure), but this status was revoked when he was 63 due to the "Einin no Tsubo Incident."

The "Einin no Tsubo Incident" was an incident in which suspicions arose that the Einin no Tsubo, a masterpiece of Kamakura-period old Seto pottery and designated an Important Cultural Property by the government, was a fake by Kato Tokuro. (The final truth remains unknown to this day.) After that, he had little contact with the outside world and devoted himself to pottery, but later held a solo exhibition in Nagoya that was extremely popular. He passed away on December 24, 1985 (Showa 60) at the age of 88.

Kato Tokuro left behind many dynamic and spirited works, and is known as the "monster of the ceramics world" for the boldness of his works and his appearance. This piece has the "TK seal" that was used for a short period after the war. It comes with a box and has been authenticated by Shigetaka, so it is in perfect condition.