Bizen-yaki potter Nobuhara Katsushi is a well-known figure in his field. Most of his production is fired in a wood-burning nobori-gama kiln, but he also produces very fine pottery with “hidasuki” motifs, fired in a gas kiln.
A technique typical of Bizen, “hidasuki” involves wrapping straw around the piece before firing. Here, with a reduction firing technique very similar to "ao-bizen", the straw leaves red marks on the dark grey-blue clay, creating a striking contrast.