RAKU Ichinyū IV

Raku Ichinyū emerged as one of the great innovators of the Raku lineage, assuming leadership at just seventeen after the death of his father, Raku Dōnyū III. While his early works echoed his father’s bold, free-spirited style, he ultimately forged his own artistic path, gradually embracing the intimate, contemplative spirit of Chōjirō while pushing the tradition forward in daring new ways. Ichinyū pioneered shugusuri (a striking black glaze mottled with red) that became so admired it inspired extensive imitation throughout the Edo period. He also introduced yakinuki, an inventive high-firing technique using the Black Raku kiln to reveal the raw vitality of the clay beneath thin layers of glaze.

From his sandy, orange-peel Black Raku surfaces to the nuanced spectrum of his Red Raku, Ichinyū transformed inherited forms into new expressions of wabi, leaving a legacy defined by curiosity, experimentation, and fearless creativity.