Takahashi Raksuai IV (*1925)

Beautiful tea caddy (chaire) with glossy yellow-green ash glaze at the front and black encrustations at the back side. Especially on the distinct shoulders ash glazes was melting into green glass running downwards the scratched lines and resulting in an interesting unique pattern. The whole body is covered by small pieces of quartz sand, which were flowering during firing. See one of these impressive but unpredictable effects - called ishihaze in Japanese ('stone explosion') - at the lower part of the tee caddy (detail). The item is signed at the bottom and comes with two silk pouches (shifuku) and a fitted, signed and sealed double-chamber wooden box.

Takahashi Rakusai IV was born 1925 in Shigaraki and is probably the most famous Shigaraki potter. The Takahashi family is along with the Ueda family the oldest potter family in Shigaraki and largely responsible for preserving traditions, especially after the second world war. Takahashi Rakusai IV succeeded his father the third Takahashi – who was designated as "Intangible Cultural Property" by government – in 1976 and passed the tradition subsequently to his son in 2010.

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