Sozan Kaneshige: Tea bowl, Imbe type

Sozan Kaneshige  金重 素山

1909 Born in Bizen, Okayama. Young brother of Toyo Kaneshige.
1927 Began producing works.
1951 Moved to Kameoka, Kyoto.
1953 Built a kiln in Kameoka. Produced Kohiki and Nerikomi type.
1964 Returned to Okayama. Built an ascending kiln.
1966 Succeeded in producing Hidasuki type by electric kiln.
1983 Designated as an intangible cultural property by Okayama prefecture. First firing of a kiln in Inbe, Okayama.
1991 Received the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold rays with Rosette.
1995 Passed away at the age of 86.

Tokuro Kato: Tea bowl, Shino type

Tokuro Kato  加藤 唐九郎

1898 Born in Seto, Aichi prefecture.
1914 Began involving with ceramic industry.
1933 Published an essay, ‘Kiseto’.
1934 Published ‘Ceramics dictionary’
1935 Moved to Nagoya, Aichi.
1950 Solo exhibition ‘Seto-guro tea bowls’ at Ginza Kuroda Touen.
1954 Joined Tori-kai.
1955 Organized Nihon Kogei Kai’ (the Japan Art Crafts Association.) with Toyozo Arakawa and Munemaro Ishiguro.
1960 ‘Einin no tsubo’ scandal
1964 Solo exhibition – Commemoration of Tokyo Olympics-
1972 Published ‘Genshoku ceramic dictionary’.
1982 The last solo exhibition ‘The world of Tokuro Kato’.
1985 Passed away at the age of 87.

Handeishi Kawakita: Tea bowl, Gray shino type, 'Kilns'

Handeishi Kawakita  川喜田 半泥子

1878 Born in Osaka prefecture. 
1879 Succeeded to the name of Kyudayu Masanori.
1903 Became the director of the Hyakugo bank.
1910 Became a member of Mie prefectural assembly.
1912 Began ceramics as hobby.
1919 Became the first president of the Hyakugo bank.
1925 Built a studio in Tsu, Mie prefecture. Started focusing on making ceramics.
1934 Named the studio as ‘Deibutsu do’ and used it as his pen-name too.
1942 Organized ‘Karahine kai’, and lead and coached Toyo Kaneshige, Kyuwa Miwa,
         and Toyozo Arakawa. 
1946 Moved to Hironaga, and built a ceramic studio called ‘Hironaga Touen’.
1957 Published a catalogue cerebrating 80 years old.
1963 Passed away at the age of 84.

Nodo Fujimoto: Sake cup

Nodo Fujimoto   藤本 能道

1919 Born in Tokyo.
1941 Graduated from The Tokyo School of fine arts, the department of crafts. (current Tokyo University of the Arts)
1970 Became a professor at the university.
1976 Show at Ginza Kuroda Touen. ‘Ceramic Plaque Exhibition’
1985 Appointed to the president of the university.
1986 Designated the Living National Treasure.
1991 Received the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver star.
1992 Passed away at the age of 73. 

Osamu Suzuki: Sake cup, Celadon type

Osamu Suzuki  鈴木 

1926 Born in Higashiyama, Kyoto.
1948 Established ‘Sodeisha’ with Kazuo Yagi, Hikaru Yamada, and others.
1960 Awarded by the Japanese Ceramic Society.
1962 Won a gold award at International Ceramic Exhibition in Prague.
1984 Awarded a gold prize of Japanese Ceramics Society.
1987 Received the Kyoto cultural award.
1988 The 40th Anniversary exhibition of Sodeisha at Isetan department store, Shinjuku.
1992 Retired from the faculty of Fine arts, Kyoto city university of Arts.
2001 Passed away at the age of 75.

Kazuo yagi: A set of two white sake cups

Kazuo Yagi 八木一夫

1918 Born in Higashiyama, Kyoto.
1931 Entered the the sculpture course at the Kyoto Municipal School of Arts and crafts.
1939 Joined the army. Discharged from the army the next year.
1943 Became a teacher at Ritsumeikan Junior High School.
1946 Left teaching, and started focusing on producing ceramics.
         Formed a young ceramic artists group, ‘Seinen Sakuto Shudan’. 
         Dissolved two years later.
1948 Founded ‘Sodeisha’ with Osamu Suzuki, Hikaru Yamada, and others.
1954 Created The walk of Mr. Samsa.
1955 Began Unglazed ceramics.
1957 Began Black ware.
1959 Won Gold medal for ‘Vase, Iron Inlay’ at the Internstional Exhibition of Ceramics, Ostend in Belgium.
1962 Won a gold medal at the 3rd International Ceramic Exhibition in Prague by ‘Monument, Queen Consort’.
1970 Shown at the exhibition ‘Contemporary Ceramics Art-Europe and Japan’ 
         at the National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto and Tokyo.
1971 Became a professor of the Kyoto Municipal College of Fine Arts.
         Designed the medals of the 11th Winter Olympic in Sapporo.
1973 Investigated the Middle East as a captain of Silk road research team.
         Won the first prize at Japan Ceramic Association.
1974 Show at Ginza Kuroda Touen. ‘ Contemporary Ceramic plaque exhibition’
1976 Published a collection of essays - ‘Kaichu no Fukei’.
1978 Show at Isetan department store. ‘The 60th Anniversary of his Birth’.
1979 Passed away at the age of 60.