Horie Bikoh - Unglazed Rounded Rectangle - 90mm

Informal information:

Excellent, rare unglazed pot from Horie Bikoh. Clay has a pear skin texture, not look. It's easy to see his master Ka influence in this work, perhaps an early one.

Horie Bikoh, real name Isao Horie, born 1939. Some of the dates for Isao don't add up in translation, but he was born into a pottery family, but only started bonsai pots later on, perhaps 1965(?), and was making small pots by 1968(?).

Crucially, he received instruction from Koreyoshi Nakamura and Heian Kouzan, from Kouzan he gained insight into suitable clay, glazes and mould making; as a result he is the only potter apart from Kouzans son Kozan to be called a direct disciple of Kouzan. His work certainly carries the same precision.

He often uses a clay which is a blend of Shigaraki and Mino clays, warm white in colour, which is said to be good for trees but also a great background for glazes.
He makes using the wheel, slab building and moulds, glazes range from traditional to very modern and bright - his orange is something else. A key motif that appears regularly is an origami crane in a contrasting glaze.

His work is highly collectible and popular, and hence, often carries a significant price tag.