Bonsai pot JTAP215 TOSUI MASAO

Masao Mizuno (水野正夫, 1904–1977) was a prominent Japanese ceramicist, renowned especially for his bonsai pots from the Tosui kiln in Seto Prefecture. From his early years, he worked as a self-taught artisan, producing pieces that often bore only the kiln's mark or collective marks. From the age of 60, he adopted the artistic pseudonym Ryokumisai (緑瑞斎), reflecting his creative maturity and his connection to nature: “Ryoku” (green) symbolizes vitality and vegetation, “Mi” (auspicious) denotes good fortune and excellence, and “Sai” (studio) alludes to his workshop or artistic retreat. This mark was used to signify his later pieces, clearly distinguishing his more mature work. Mizuno Masao was the father of Mizuno Shikao, who continued the family tradition of the Tosui kiln, preserving the ceramic legacy. His works are distinguished by their elegance and technical precision, and the marks allow one to identify the stage of each piece: the earliest pieces are usually unsigned or bear the kiln mark, while later pieces carry the distinctive Ryokumisai mark, a symbol of his artistic maturity.