Sumi, color, gofun, and gold flecks on paper. In addition, this piece contains a unique woodblock print technique that utilizes gofun, a ground oyster shell treatment. As a result, the forest sprites featured in this piece are hidden to the viewer until viewed from the right perspective.The inscribed poem is done in the waka style and reads, “A twig broken is a sin, here at Togano’o… so permit me, some fallen leaves, O guardians of these autumn hills.” [Sold]

Sumi, color, and and gofun on gilded paper. This piece done in the early Edo period features two rabbits frolicking in a sunny floral pasture. The flowers in this composition are particularly striking and emanate a soft radiance due to the use of a gofun treatment in which a white pigment made from high quality oyster shells is applied to the canvas. A classic naturalistic landscape, the rabbits in the foreground are rendered in such a way as to suggest movement while the hills floating in the background add extra dimensions to the composition. [Sold]

A native of Nagoya, a bustling Japanese center for shipping and trade in Late Edo, Baiitsu was heavily influenced by works of Chinese art, especially the naturalistic landscapes that made their way into Japan through this port city. Over time he came to paint almost exclusively birds in various landscapes and gained a reputation for his brushwork, exceptional attention to detail, and as he termed it the “spirit” he imbued in a completed work. [Sold]

A book containing secret techniques used by the kiln has been handed down to each successive generation since the age of Dō’nyū (1599 – 1656). Unlike the main Raku line—that to a certain extent allows each generation of potter to follow their own aesthetic sense—Tamamizu potters have stayed true to the original forms set out by Chōjirō, Dō’nyū, and Kōetsu. The line of Tamamizu potters continued up to early Meiji with the death of Tamamizu 14. However, a recent attempt was made to revive the kiln by a descendent (later dubbed Tamamizu 15) who spent his life collecting Tamamizu-ware from earlier potters, researching the techniques used by studying old manuscripts, and training with main-line Raku potters. Despite these efforts, there remain many historical gaps in our collective knowledge of the kiln and of the individual potters themselves.