23354 Living National Treasure MIWA Kyuwa (Hagi tea bowl)

Height 8.6cm Diameter 13.2cm

He began making pottery as the second son of Miwa Setsudo, the 9th head of Miwa Kiln, which had been the official kiln of the Hagi domain since the early Edo period and had been producing Hagi ware for generations. When Setsudo retired in 1927, he became the 10th head of Miwa Kiln and took the name of Miwa Kyusetsu 10th. He formed the Karahine-kai with Kawakita Handeishi, Kaneshige Toyo, and Arakawa Toyozo, and pioneered Hagi ware through his own study. In his later years, he handed over the title of Miwa Kyusetsu 11th to his younger brother (later to become Living National Treasure Miwa Jusetsu), and took on the name Miwa Kyukazu. He is a master who made a great contribution to the history of modern Japanese pottery, including being recognized as a Living National Treasure for Hagi ware. This work, which is Miwa Kyukazu's finest work, is a representative tea bowl of Miwa Kyukazu, who was knowledgeable about tea ware and sincerely faced with Hagi ware, while developing highly artistic tea utensils that combined the good old traditions with his own style. The lustrous and varied scenery and bold design are truly beautiful, and the tea looks beautiful and is very easy to drink. This outstanding piece can be said to be a testament to the skill of Professor Miwa Kyuwa.