Tatsuzo Shimaoka 島岡 達三

Tatsuzo Shimaoka 島岡 達三  (1919 - 2007) lived and worked in Mashiko, Japan, a town well-known for its pottery traditions. He originally studied pottery at the Tokyo Institute of Technology and then apprenticed to Shoji Hamada before starting his own kiln and complex next door in 1953. he later received one of the highest craft honors of the second Living National Treasure of Mashiko, Japan.  His signature technique ofjomon zogon (rope-impressed inlay) earned him the honor of Japanese Living National Treasure in 1996. Shimaoka also influenced many potters starting their careers including Ken Matsuzaki, the current president of the Mashiko Potters Association, thus continuing the tradition of potter and apprentice.
Shimaoka's work can be found in some of the most notable museums worldwide, including the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, the Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, and the Tokyo Folk Art Museum. Recently, pieces have been accepted into collections of the museum at the Rhode Island School of Design, and the Israel Museum in Jerusalem.