A breathtaking set of five gourd-shaped dishes of Bizen clay with Hidashiki lines covered in pale white glaze, a rare example of Shiro-Bizen enclosed in a dilapidated tiered kiri-wood storage box, each in its own compartment showcasing the value placed on the set. Two the dishes have vibrant gold repairs like lightning across the winter sky. Stamped on the bottom Kiyomizu, it is possible that these were fired in Kyoto in the 19th century. They are 14.5 x 9.5 x 4 cm (roughly 6 x 4 x 1-1/2 inches) each.
During the mid-Edo period, a distinctive type of white Bizen ware was produced—so rare today that surviving examples are often referred to as “phantom white Bizen” (maboroshi no shiro-Bizen). Broadly speaking, two main varieties of shiro-Bizen exist. The earliest type was inspired by the translucent white porcelain of Shizutani ware, also made in Bizen City, and was coated with a semi-transparent white glaze. Later, potters began producing unglazed versions in the true Bizen tradition, achieving a pale surface tone by using iron-poor clay and high-temperature firing to bring out the natural whiteness of the body. Because production lasted only a short time and techniques varied among individual potters, authentic examples are extremely rare. The precise methods have not been fully documented, and modern potters continue to experiment in attempts to recreate the elusive beauty of white Bizen.
