Bizen Ware stoneware tray with handle (tebachi)

Toyo was born into a family said to have been making Bizen ware since the Momoyama period, and he became the acclaimed master of Bizen-ware production. He was designated a Living National Treasure by the Japanese government in 1956. In 1957 he helped organize the Nihon Dento Kogeikai (Japanese Traditional Craft Association).