Brilliant porcelain across the Pacific Ocean – Old Noritake: Beauty Bridging East & West

[Inscription] "Mitsuyamagata Mark" / Sakuragata "h Ko" 

[Year of Manufacture and Artist’s Name] Around 1905/ ITAYA Hazan

ITAYA Hazan (1872 – 1963) was a potter who represented the modern era of Japan’s craft arts. In 1934 he was awarded the Order of Culture as an Artist of the Imperial Household, and again in 1953 for the first time as a craft potter. This piece was created while Hazan was working at the Tokyo Higher Technical School as a part-time teacher, and, unusually, a part created so many years ago was recently discovered. This piece exudes a youthful vitality that stands in stark contrast to the matte-glazed style that would dominate Itaya’s work in later years.