Famed ceramic artist and Living National Treasure Takuo Kato died of pneumonia at a hospital in Tajimi, Gifu Prefecture, on Tuesday, his family said. He was 87.
Kato was a leading figure in the restoration of Persian lusterware ceramics that had disappeared around the 16th to 17th centuries and also in the restoration of three-color glaze ceramics, the oldest Japanese pottery technique, developed in the Nara Period (710-794).
Born into a family of pottery masters dating back to the late Edo Period (1603-1867), Kato began studying ceramic art at a very young age under his father, Kato Kobe, the fifth heir of the grand pottery master of Mino ware.
Kato distinguished himself as a leading expert in ancient pottery restoration techniques by successfully restoring Persian lusterware in the early 1980s after some 20 years of studies.
His achievements brought him numerous art awards. He was named a Living National Treasure in 1995.