26328　 KIMURA Morikazu Emerald Glaze Kiln-Changed Crystal Guinomi (90th Birthday)

Height: 3.8 cm
Diameter: 9.6 cm

Morihiro Kimura was born in Kyoto City in 1921. He initially learned the basics of pottery by himself, observing his elder brother and the craftsmen in the workshop. In 1937, he was engaged in fundamental research on iron glaze (tenmoku glaze) and clay bodies as an instructor at the National Ceramic Testing Laboratory, which was under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

In 1946, he opened a pottery studio in Gojozaka, Kyoto, and began his research into tenmoku glazes. His research focused on black glazes with high iron content, and he collected rocks and minerals from all over the world to create crystalline kiln-varied glazes.

Morihiro Kimura's unique mineral glaze, kiln-varied crystalline tea bowls, are highly popular. After working for 10 years in the Yamashina Kiyomizu-yaki complex, Morihiro Kimura moved to Fukui Prefecture, seeking an environment more conducive to his pottery work. He equipped his studio with a climbing kiln, heavy oil kiln, electric kiln, and gas kiln, as well as facilities to crush and process raw minerals for glazes.

He particularly dedicated himself to glaze research, traveling to mines and remote islands in search of raw mineral ores, and importing gemstone mother rocks from various countries. He not only recreated classic masterpieces such as "Yuteki Tenmoku," "Tetsu-do Glaze," "Ruby Glaze Kiln-Varied," "Emerald Glaze Kiln-Varied Crystal," and "Chrysocolla Kiln-Varied Crystal," but also created glazes with unprecedented brilliance.

The creation of the "Emerald Glaze" in this piece was inspired by the discovery of tiny crystals under a magnifying glass among 700 test pieces. Unlike Yuteki Tenmoku, which features oil-drop-like patterns, this glaze is characterized by angular, geometric patterns that are said to only appear with emeralds from Colombia.

Works featuring the Emerald Glaze Kiln-Varied Crystal exhibit a strong reddish tint in bright sunlight, while under gentle light, they reveal aurora-colored crystals floating in black, changing their appearance with the light. Unfortunately, Morihiro Kimura has passed away, making his existing works extremely valuable. This piece is a masterpiece created by Morihiro, who passed away at the age of 94 after a great life, when he was 90 years old.