26163 Living National Treasure Jun Isezaki Bizen Bowl

Height 6.0cm
Diameter 27.0cm

Born as the second son of Isezaki Yozan, a master craftsman, he learned pottery from his father from an early age along with his older brother Mitsuru, and began making pottery in earnest after graduating from university. He was first selected for the Japan Traditional Art Crafts Exhibition in 1961, and continued to receive subsequent selections, becoming a full member of the Japan Crafts Council in 1966. In 1967, he built a new kiln and went independent. In 1977, he traveled to the United States, expanding his horizons to sculptural pottery, and demonstrated his enthusiasm for modern ceramic objects, including the Bizen ware relief murals at the entrances of the Prime Minister's Official Residence, Bizen City Hall, and Kurashiki Notre Dame Memorial Hall. While he had previously been highly praised for his fire-breathing technique, in recent years he has developed works that set him apart from existing Bizen ware, such as sculptural vessels that combine Bizen ware's distinctive kiln-changing effects with black glazes. In 2004, he became the fifth Bizen ware artist to be designated an Important Intangible Cultural Property (Living National Treasure).