Furo Ishii (1899–1964) was a Bizen-yaki potter active during the Shōwa period, renowned as a master of intricate craftsmanship and the potter’s wheel. After studying pottery under Shūrei Toda in Akashi, he moved to Bizen, where he developed his own distinctive style, focusing primarily on tea ceremony ware. Among his works, the ‘Heart Sutra Vase’—in which each scroll of the Heart Sutra is engraved onto the body of a vase—is considered his most representative piece; it is said that he spent more than a decade completing a series of one thousand such vases. In 1954, he was designated a Holder of Important Intangible Cultural Properties of Okayama Prefecture, and in his later years, he researched the Aka-raku technique and experimented with his own unique style of red-glazed pottery.

Furo Ishii’s works strike a magnificent balance between the simple, warm character of Bizen clay and his masterful sculptural technique. His treasure vases, in particular, are small vessels that fit in the palm of the hand, yet every detail—from the curvature of the body to the spout and lid—is executed with meticulous care, whilst the engraved characters convey a sense of quiet spirituality. It is precisely this ability to create a profound depth of character through the texture and form of the clay itself, without relying on ostentatious decoration, that constitutes the unique charm of Furo’s works.