Toyozō Arakawa
Shōwa period (20th century)
Donated by Norio Homma
Toyozō Arakawa (1894–1985) was one of the leading ceramic artists of the Shōwa period. He was designated a Living National Treasure for his Shino and Setoguro ceramics. After working as the factory manager of Miyanaga Tōzan Kiln in Kyōto, he became the chief potter at the Hoshigaoka kiln, established by Rosanjin Kitaōji in Kamakura. In 1930, Toyozō discovered fragments of Momoyama-era Shino pottery at Ōgaya in Kani, Gifu Prefecture, and built a kiln at Ōgaya to restore the Momoyama-period Shino and Setoguro styles. In 1971, he was designated a Person of Cultural Merit.