24620 Kato Tokuro (Tetsushino tea bowl "Shunyo" catalogue item 1982)

Height 8.3cm

Diameter 12.8cm

He was born in Mizuno Village, Higashi Kasugai County, Aichi Prefecture (present-day Mizuhoku Town, Seto City). He studied and worked to recreate pottery from the Momoyama period, but lost his status as an intangible cultural property due to the fabrications he made during the Einin no Tsubo Incident. After the incident, he devoted himself to pottery making. He created the Toukabe, a combination of architecture and ceramics. Toukabe is a word coined by Tokuro. He also uses the names Ichimu Sai, Ichimu, Noto, Yato, Togen, and Gen. His sons, Okabe Mineo (eldest son), Kato Shigetaka (third son), and grandson Kato Takahiro are also potters.

This is a masterpiece among masterpieces, with an exquisite scene appearing on the tightly fired body. The pottery seal called "Dumpling Gen" is a genuine work from his final years. "Xunyang" is another name for the Yangtze River. This work has the atmosphere of a mighty river flowing merrily.