This cylindrical tea bowl (tsutsu-chawan) featuring the Shinyote technique is a work of Noto Taisha Ware (Taisha Kiln) created by the ceramic artist Tadashi Isomi (1923–1999). Isomi studied under Hakutei Ishii, a prominent figure in Western-style painting, to master pictorial composition techniques, and cultivated advanced ceramic artistry under Tojiro Kitade, a master of modern Kutani ware. After graduating from the Imperial Military Academy, he graduated from the Ceramic Arts Department of the Ishikawa Institute of Arts and Crafts, the predecessor of Kanazawa College of Art. Opening his kiln in 1948 (Showa 23) in Jike-machi, Hakui City, Ishikawa Prefecture, at the foot of Keta Taisha, the Ichinomiya (principal shrine) of Noto, Isomi repeatedly selected for and received awards at the Nitten, Asahi Ceramic Art Exhibition, and Contemporary Art Exhibition. He exhibited as a representative of Ishikawa Prefecture at the 5th Ministry of Education Selected Exhibition and received the Ishikawa Prefecture Cultural Activity Encouragement Award as well as the 7th Hokkoku Fusetsu Award. Furthermore, he crafted numerous large ceramic wall reliefs for public facilities such as the National Noto Youth Center and Hakui City Hall, making a significant contribution to the development of regional crafts. This work is deduced to be an authentic piece produced between the late 1980s and the early 1990s (late Showa to early Heisei era), a period showing the highest mastery in both form and glaze quality as reflected in the Shinyote technique and the brushwork of the inscription on the accompanying dedicated paulownia wooden box (tomobako), which reads "Taisha-yaki Shinyote Tsutsu-chawan, Isomi Tadashi Zo." The box is bound with green Sanada-himo ribbon, and the piece remains in extremely fine condition.
The paramount value of this piece lies in the dynamic execution of "Shinyote" (real leaf technique)—a unique method independently developed and established by Taisha Kiln—upon the impactful form of a large cylindrical tea bowl. Shinyote is an extraordinarily difficult, original technique in which actual leaves from plants growing wild around the primeval forest of Keta Taisha, a Nationally Designated Natural Monument, are adhered to the vessel and burned away inside a kiln exceeding 1,000°C, leaving the leaf contours and intricate veins three-dimensionally embossed directly onto the surface. Examining the provided image, a profound glaze composition formed by the complex intersection of blue-gray, yellow, and dark brown lies over a rugged, carved skin with a powerful texture evocative of the Earth's crust or tree bark, while on its front, each microscopic vein of an actual leaf is precisely fixed in a vivid bluish-white hue. The contrast between the grand, Earth-like raw surface and the delicate veins woven by nature is breathtaking, and the square seal stamp "Taisha," proof of the Taisha Kiln, is clearly impressed beside the foot.
With a large cylindrical form full of presence, measuring approx. 9.0 cm in height and approx. 11.2 cm in mouth diameter, our shop proposes this work as a dignified "Japanese-style old fashioned glass (Japanese-style Western liquor vessel)" for enjoying aged spirits, vintage whiskey, matured sake, or liquors on the rocks with a large ice sphere, tailored to modern refined lifestyles. The rugged, dynamic texture of the clay upon touch, the amber hues of the liquor shifting as the ice melts, and the beautifully emerging botanical patterns of the Shinyote technique intertw to bring a unique craft aesthetic to the table. An authentic masterpiece combining the nature of sacred grounds, the expressive power of Western-style painting, and Kutani ceramic techniques, this piece allows one to thoroughly savor the true essence of traditional Japanese craft through both visual appreciation and practical use.
- Artist: Tadashi Isomi (1923–1999)
- Artist's Representative Career Highlights: Studied under Hakutei Ishii and Tojiro Kitade. After graduating from the predecessor of Kanazawa College of Art, opened Noto Taisha Ware in 1948. Selected for Nitten numerous times, exhibited as Ishikawa Prefecture representative at the 5th Ministry of Education Selected Exhibition, received Ishikawa Prefecture Cultural Activity Encouragement Award and the 7th Hokkoku Fusetsu Award.
- Public Collections & Ceramic Murals: Created numerous large ceramic wall reliefs for public facilities such as National Noto Youth Center, Hakui City Cultural Hall, and Hakui City Hall.
- Production Period: Late 1980s–early 1990s (Late Showa–early Heisei era)
- Item Condition: Very Good (No chips, no cracks)
- Accessories: Dedicated paulownia wooden box (Tomobako) included (with calligraphy "Taisha-yaki Shinyote Tsutsu-chawan, Isomi Tadashi Zo" and paper label)
- Material: Ceramic / Porcelain (Shinyote real leaf technique, ash glaze)
- Dimensions: Height approx. 9.0 cm, Mouth diameter approx. 11.2 cm
- Note: The items provided by our shop were produced a very long time ago and are all listed as pre-owned items. Please understand and confirm the age-related changes before considering your purchase.
