Imo Tokkuri by Kakurezaki takes its name from its swollen, sweet-potato–like profile, rising from a weighted base into a compact neck and restrained mouth. Rather than relying on wheel-thrown symmetry, the body appears compressed, with subtle faceting and shifts in contour that register the pressure of the artist’s hands.
Like his teacher, Living National Treasure Jun Isezaki, Kakurezaki blends Bizen clay with oxidized metal pigments, brushing them onto the dried form before firing. This process produces an exceptionally hard, dense black surface with a cool, almost metallic presence.
Across this dark ground, wood firing introduces rich yellow goma (sesame ash) deposits, which flow and pool across the surface like scattered gold sand. The contrast between the cold black skin and warm ash effects animates the vessel, transforming the traditionally utilitarian sake flask into a vivid kiln record.
