Designated a 'Living National Treasure' in 1955, Shoji Hamada was a highly influential 20th century potter. After studying ceramics at the Tokyo Institute of Technology alongside Kawai Kanjiro (see lots 6 and 11), he went to a Tokyo exhibition of Bernard Leach's work and was very impressed. As a result, he and Leach became close friends, to the extent that Hamada accompanied Leach to England in 1920 when the latter decided to return and establish a pottery in St Ives, Cornwall. After three years there with Leach, he returned to Japan in 1923 and eventually established his workshop in Mashiko, about 100 km north-east of Tokyo. Here, he built his own pottery and committed himself to using only locally-sourced materials. He rarely signed or stamped his pieces, believing that the identity of the artist should reveal itself in the work.

Hamada supported young artists who moved to Mashiko to become his students, including Shimaoka Tatsuzo (see lot 84), and Kamoda Shoji.