Tousyu Yamamoto (1906–1994) was a Bizen-yaki potter born in Ibe, Bizen City, Okayama Prefecture. He joined a pottery workshop at a young age, honing his wheel-throwing skills through many years of training, and established his own studio in 1933. Whilst cherishing the earthy character and kiln-induced colour variations unique to Bizen-yaki, he excelled at creating well-proportioned and elegant forms, leaving behind outstanding works particularly in the form of tea caddies, sake flasks and flower vases. In 1987, he was designated a Living National Treasure for Bizen-yaki, an Important Intangible Cultural Property.

When viewing Toshihide Yamamoto’s works, one senses a refined elegance within the robust character of Bizen-yaki. Whilst making the most of the sesame-seed and vermilion hues created by the flames, his forms are free from any sense of strain; his tea caddies, in particular, demonstrate the mastery of the potter’s wheel honed over many years. To me, his pottery appears not to emphasise roughness, but rather to quietly embrace the clay and the flames, guiding them towards a beautiful equilibrium. I believe the great appeal of Toshihide Yamamoto lies in the fact that, whilst his work is understated, the precision of his form becomes increasingly apparent the more one contemplates it.