FUJIWARA KEI 藤原啓 (1899-1983, LIVING NATIONAL TREASURE, 1970) A Bizen-Ware Tokkuri (Sake Bottle) Showa era (1926-1989), second half of the 20th century A stoneware sake bottle of standard contemporary Bizen form with very slightly rounded sides and angled shoulders rising to a narrow neck and gently out-turned mouth, the reddish iron-rich clay with many small feldspathic inclusions, the goma natural ash glaze in places showing the characteristic Fujiwara-family purplish hue, the flat base incised with the artist's mark; with a signed and sealed tomobako (wood storage box) inscribed by the artist 5 1/4in (13.3cm) high Footnotes: After a career as a man of letters, from age 40 Fujiwara Kei studied under Kaneshige Tōyō and gained mastery of the rustic, natural ash-glazed style of Bizen ceramics his teacher had famously rediscovered. His works, known for their simple, clear, and bold aesthetic, often feature goma (speckled natural ash glaze), reddish-brown tones, and ishihaze (burst stone) effects. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com For further information about this lot please visit the lot listing