1926-2001
male
arita porcelain
nabeshima porcelain
living national treasure
The eldest son of Imaemon XII, Imaemon XIII studied at Arita Technical School and Tokyo Schhol of Fine Arts before returning to his hometown to study pottery under his father.
In 1975, his father passed away and he became the 13th Imaemon. (During this time, he participated in exhibitions such as the Japan Traditional Kogei Exhibition and the Issui Society Exhibition, was conferred the Issui Society Chairman’s Award and the Japan Kogei Association Chairman’s Award, as well as was nominated for member and regular member of both exhibitions.)
After his succession, Imaemon XIII arranged solo exhibitions in various locations to commemorate the occasion, and in 1976 he established the Ironabeshima Technique Preservation Society (Important Intangible Cultural Heritage) together with highly skilled potters in his studio.
Subsequently, he continued to preserve tradition while also incorporating new techniques in his constant quest for modernistic pottery. He participated in traditional arts exhibitions and other public exhibitions as well as contributed to the development of local society and the training of a new generation. Throughout the years, he was conferred numerous awards and commendations, such as the Japan Ceramic Society Award in 1976; the Saga Arts and Culture Award in 1979; the West Japan Culture Award in 1984; the Medal with Purple Ribbon, the Saga Award for Distinguished Service, and the Saga Newspaper Culture Award in 1986; as well as the Mainichi Arts Awards and the 1st MOA Okada Mokichi Grand Award in 1988. He was also recognized as a National Important Intangible Cultural Heritage (Living National Treasure) in 1989, received the Japan Ceramic Society Gold Award in that same year, and was conferred the Order of the Rising Sun, 4th Class in 1999.Imaemon XIII held solo exhibitions not only in Japan but also in Spain, Portugal, and Paris, where he was very well received. In 1995, he received the Commendation Award of the Japanese Foreign Minister for his contributions to international cultural exchange.
He inherited the traditional Ironabeshima technique, but from the beginning his aim was to achieve a modern style of pottery. Based on the “fukizumi” technique of spraying a gosu-blue glaze, he developed the “usuzumi” and “fukigasane” techniques, new to the Imaemon tradition. It is this expressiveness that has earned the modern Imaemon his high praise.
