Vase-Vessel / Bizen / Bizen / Mori Togaku
Bizen Tsurukubi-Crane's Neck-Vase by Mori Togaku
Mori Togaku(b.1937) is a living legend for Bizen; more about him can be read in our archives. Needless to say from looking at the archive photos I'm a huge fan of his and have seen-handled many works from his career. Without a doubt the firing on this elegant tsurukubi vase is unparalleled and for two reasons, the highly unusual goma-natural ash-glaze and the hidasuki-scarlet lines that appear as if dancing flames. I've only seen one other Mori work with this type of goma and it's in his private collection and photographed in two of his retrospective catalogs, a photo shown here from one titled 'Ko-Bizen o koete' or Going Passed Old Bizen published in 1999 by the Asahi Newspaper Press. A museum piece in perfect condition with a signed box and an outer lacquer box, 26cm.tall, stamped on base and dating to 1992.