Black and gold splash the rim of this deep, dimpled Tsutsu Chawan tea bowl by Nijubu Fumio enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It bears his distinct, charred gray glaze which seems more accumulation than application. It is 11.3 cm (4-1/2 inches) diameter, 9.5 cm (just less than 4 inches) tall and in perfect condition.
Nijubu Fumio (born 1947) is a prominent Japanese ceramic artist from Osaka Prefecture, best known for his mastery of traditional Mino ware. He operates his kiln in Toki City, Gifu Prefecture, and specializes in classic Japanese pottery styles such as Nezumi-Shino (gray-glazed Shino) and Kiseto (yellow Seto). Notably, he was the first Japanese ceramicist appointed as a full-time visiting professor at China's Jingdezhen Ceramic University, where he taught for eight and a half years to foster international cultural exchange.
