$XN94: Japanese tea bowl, Great Master, Rosanjin Kitaoji, Appraised by TOTOAN

The signature of the potter is carved on the bottom.  The original wooden box with the signature of the potter and the appraised signature of the most famous appraiser of ROSANJIN works, TOTOAN KURODA (antiuqe gallery's owner name of KURODA touen) are also included.

Rosanjin was one of the greatest talents, who was offered to become a human national treasure from Japanese goverment.  But, he rejected it 2 times.

His detailed profile is as follows.

Kitaoji Rosanjin (1883 – 1959) was a calligrapher, ceramicist and restaurateur in Japan during the first half of the twentieth century. Born in the village of Kamigano he founded the Bishoku Club (Gourmet's Club) in 1921. It became a private restaurant. The Great Tokyo earthquake of 1923 destroyed most of his ceramics collection, and he began making pottery to replace it. He also became a scholar of antique pottery publishing his work during the 1930's. Isamu Noguchi lived on his property for a while during the 1950s.

Rosanjin was mentioned several times on the Japanese TV show Iron Chef as the "mentor" of the "Chairman Kaga" character. His apprentice, Masaaki Hirano, was an occasional judge on the show.

Kaiseki Chef, Yasushi Naoe (born in Oono, Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan in 1935) used Rosanjin's museum dishes for very special occasions at Kawai Ryokan in Toyama, Japan.