Item Description: 山本出 Yamamoto Izuru（1944－） This exceptional Bizen-clay Shussai Fish-form Flower Vase (Bizen-do Shussai Uogata Hanaire) was crafted by Yamamoto Izuru, designated Holder of an Important Intangible Cultural Property of Okayama Prefecture. The piece showcases Izuru's celebrated Shussai technique — a laborious process in which colored clay infused with pigments is pressed and worked into Bizen clay to produce painterly strata of color that emerge naturally through the intense heat of the kiln. The vase is boldly modeled in the form of a fish, a motif that embodies vitality, abundance, and good fortune in Japanese tradition. One face is animated by dynamic comb-mark (kushime) incisions, while the opposite reveals a breathtaking landscape of Shussai coloration — sweeping layers of warm amber, deep ochre, and rich earth tones merging like a landscape painting fired into the clay itself. The surfaces bear the authentic marks of Bizen stoneware: natural ash deposits (shizen-yu), scorched textures, and the characteristic stone-burst (ishi-haze) pitting that only the most refined Bizen clay fired in a traditional anagama kiln can produce. The work is accompanied by its original wooden box (tomobako) bearing the artist's own handwritten inscription and signature, along with a cloth wrapper (tomobukuro) and an accompanying pamphlet (shiori) — confirming its full authenticity as a certified work by Yamamoto Izuru. A piece of rare sculptural ambition and technical mastery, this flower vase stands as a testament to a living tradition continuously reimagined by one of Bizen's most important modern voices. Size Height: 22.5 cm Width: 14.0 cm Condition The piece is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, or notable flaws; the original wooden storage box shows some light surface wear and minor soiling consistent with age. Artist Profile 山本出 Yamamoto Izuru（1944－） Born in 1944 in Imbe, Bizen City, Okayama Prefecture, Yamamoto Izuru is the fourth son of the late Yamamoto Toshu, a Living National Treasure renowned as a master of the potter's wheel. After studying sculpture at university, Izuru pursued further research in sculpture abroad before returning to Japan in 1971. He then trained in ceramics under his father before establishing his own independent kiln in 1975, constructing an anagama kiln in 1978. He was accepted into the Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition for the first time in 1972 and was elected a full member of the Japan Kogei Association in 1979. In 1980, he received the Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition Encouragement Prize — the first such award ever given to a Bizen ware artist in the exhibition's history. He went on to receive numerous further accolades including the Kaneshige Toyo Prize (1985), the Okayama Prefecture Cultural Encouragement Award (1997), and the Kikuchi Biennale Grand Prize. He is currently designated as a Holder of an Important Intangible Cultural Property of Okayama Prefecture, and his work is represented in major museum collections both in Japan and abroad. Izuru's signature contributions to Bizen ware are his Shussai technique — producing rich polychrome effects by pressing pigment-laden colored clay into Bizen clay and firing — and his Tsumia-ge (stacking) method, developed through research into overseas clay materials. NOITICE: The lot will be carefully packaged and sent by Japan Post, DHL or FedEx depend on the situation. It takes about 3 weeks to receive normally. Import duties, taxes, and charges are not included in the item price or shipping cost. These charges are the buyer's responsibility. Sometimes Customes or delivery company in your country contact you for Customs clearance via phone or email. Please make sure that you could answer the phone. If you don't, the parcel will return to me and it cost more double shipping fee for reshipping. I appreciate your cooperation.