1912-1990
male
living national treasure
He was born the son of the seventh generation Tsukamoto Gennemon, a line of pottery manufacturers in Toki who had inherited the making of Chinese Dingyao style white porcelain from generation to generation for over 200 years. He held a strong interest in manufacturing pottery from a very young age, and assisted his father in making pottery after graduating from higher elementary school.
After the war, he developed his craft activities through Hineno Sakuzo. Additionally, at around 1948, he gained the favor of Koyama Fujio, known for his research on Chinese ceramics, and pursued further research on Chinese Song dynasty celadon, white porcelain and blue and white porcelain, studying techniques in earnest.
In 1961, he received the Ministry of International Trade and Industry Good Design Commendation with his pottery creations that brought out his crafting spirit. Furthermore, after being chosen for a prize for the first time in 1963, he showed activities mainly in displaying works at the Japan Traditional Kogei Exhibition, and he received many awards, such as the Gold Award in the America California Exposition in 1964, acknowledgment as a Gifu Prefectural Important Intangible Cultural Property in 1973, the Medal with Purple Ribbon in 1977, the Japan Ceramics Society Award in 1979 and the Chunichi Cultural Award in 1980. In 1983, he was acknowledged as a Nationally Designated Important Intangible Cultural Property (Living National Treasure), as a preserver of the techniques of Chinese Song dynasty Dingyao white porcelain and Jingdezhen blue and white porcelain.
With a color formation that combines both the mystic beauty of Chinese porcelain and Japanese elegance, he expressed a decorative quality with sculpted floral patters made through distinguished spatula techniques, showing a highly dignified crafting domain.
