23612 Living National Treasure Arakawa Toyozo (Plum Painting Shino Sake Bottle (Tatsushiki))

Height 13.4cm Diameter 9.4cm

He has made a great contribution to the history of modern Japanese pottery and has been designated an Important Intangible Cultural Property in both the fields of "Shino" and "Setoguro". Through the "Karahine Society", he deepened his ties with leading figures in the pottery world of the Showa era, such as Kawakita Handeishi, Kaneshige Toyo, and Miwa Kyuwa, and established a solid position in the world. Arakawa Toyozo is a Living National Treasure representing Mino, who is still highly regarded and popular today. Arakawa Toyozo, who showed deep knowledge outside of Mino pottery and had a close friendship with Karatsu leading figure Nishioka Koju, continued to create this Karatsu piece throughout his life. The well-balanced shape and his representative design, "Plum Blossom Painting", are drawn freely, giving the piece a warm and tasteful atmosphere that is truly characteristic of Toyozo. The painting is free of unnecessary elements, emphasizing the "beauty of the blank space", and the nobility that allows you to look at it forever without getting bored can be said to be the essence of Arakawa Toyozo's beauty.