Yuteki Oil-Spot Sake Cup, by Kato Takatoshi (1917–1999) © Treasures of Old Times

Kato Takatoshi (1917–1999) is known in Japan for his remarkable Yuteki Tenmoku bowls. Born into the Kutani ware kiln Shingyokuen, he could have simply continued the family tradition. Instead, he devoted decades to studying the glazes of China's Song dynasty, combining the eye of a potter with the mind of a ceramic scientist.

In 1965, at the age of forty-eight, Kato began an intensive pursuit of lost Chinese glaze techniques. Through countless experiments, he succeeded in recreating some of the most challenging effects in ceramic history, particularly Yuteki Tenmoku, the mysterious 'oil-spot' glaze whose metallic speckles seem to float across a deep black surface.

Japanese collectors came to regard him as one of the foremost masters of modern Tenmoku. His finest bowls are admired not only for their dazzling glaze effects, but also for their strong forms and quiet dignity as tea utensils.

Repost from © Treasures of Old Times