The robustly potted ikebana flower vase of tall cyllindral form, covered overall in a thick Shino ware glaze with its feldspathic white and pinkish glaze, together with original tomobako wood box and cover, inscribed, signed and sealed by the artist(Quantity:1)Dimensions: 21.5cm high, 10.5cm wide, 10.5cm deepProvenance:Property from a private collection, JapanNotes:Kato Kozo was one of the most important figures in the revival and preservation of traditional Mino ceramics. Born in Mizunami, Gifu Prefecture, he devoted his career to the study and recreation of the great ceramic traditions of the Momoyama period, particularly Seto-guro, Shino, and Ki-Seto. In 1954, he began his ceramic studies at the Gifu Prefectural Ceramics Research Institute, where he developed his technical foundation before becoming an apprentice of Arakawa Toyozo (1894–1985), a Living National Treasure whose archaeological investigations demonstrated that the celebrated Momoyama-period Shino and Oribe wares had originated in the Mino region. Under Arakawa’s guidance, Kato developed a lifelong commitment to the revival of these historic ceramic traditions. Kato established his own studio in 1973 and dedicated himself to recreating the techniques and spirit of Momoyama ceramics through traditional methods. Working in Seto-guro, Shino, and Ki-Seto, he built his own anagama (single-chamber climbing kiln) and noborigama (multi-chamber climbing kiln) kilns in the hills north of Tajimi, firing his works using methods inspired by historic Mino practices. Rejecting the use of the electric wheel, he shaped his vessels by hand, pursuing forms and surfaces that reflected the spontaneity and vitality of sixteenth-century Japanese ceramics. Throughout his career, he received widespread recognition for his dedication to traditional ceramic techniques and his contribution to the continuation of Mino ware. In 2010, he was designated a Juyo Mukei Bunka-zai Hojisha (Holder of an Important Intangible Cultural Property) for his mastery of Seto-guro, an honour recognising his exceptional skill and contribution to the preservation of one of Japan’s most significant ceramic traditions.