This specific identifier is frequently found on sites dedicated to archiving . In these circles, "Rikitake" is synonymous with high-volume, professional portraiture of Japanese models.
1968 was a year of global social upheaval, but in Japan, it was also the height of the Sōdeisha (Craft Art Association) movement. Artists were rejecting the rigid Mingei (folk craft) ideals in favor of sculptural, avant-garde ceramics. The Rikitake kiln, while more traditional than the radical Sōdeisha group, was heavily influenced by this energy. Rikitake No.119 Shoko Esumi.68