Vase

Shimizu Toyokazu was born and raised in the town of Tachikui, where the primary kiln site for Tanba ware has been located since the 1100s. The son of a potter, he apprenticed with his father after graduating from high school in 1948 and labored in obscurity until his first solo exhibition three decades later. Toyokazu, who calls his kiln Honoho Tankyū, follows the tradition of old Tanba pottery by leaving his wares unglazed but achieves a contemporary look through distinctly modern shapes.