Catalog (775)

A set of five deep plates by Living National Treasure Kondo Yuzo decorated with pomegranates in blue on snow white porcelain. The are 20.5 cm (8 inches) diameter and in excellent condition, each signed on back. They come in a custom made contemporary box. Kondo Yuzo (1902-1985) was born in the Gojozaka district of Kyoto and studied alongside Kawai Kanjiro and Hamada Shoji at the Kyoto Ceramics Research facility, where he studied kiln technique directly under Shoji. He then apprenticed under recently returned Tomimoto Kenkichi for three years before establishing himself as a unique artist in the Kiyomizu district of Kyoto in 1924. He served as a professor at the Kyoto University of Art where he helped shape generations of potters. After an illustrious career he was named a Living National Treasure for Sometsuke Porcelain in 1977. Works by the artist are held in the collection of the LACMA, Cleveland and Brooklyn Museums of Art, Kyoto Municipal and Tokyo National Museums of Modern Art among many others.

Dramatic waves are combed into the clay surface of this large Toban Platter by Living National Treasure Suzuki Osamu (Kura) covered in glass-like copper green; unusually signed and dated on bottom 1957 and enclosed in an artist signed wooden box. This has the wow factor in truckloads! A quintessential piece by this influential artist showing not only the innovation early in his career, but the consistency with which he approached Mino pottery, Museum quality, sure to become a centerpiece of any collection. It is 53.5 x 31 cm (21 x 12 inches) and in excellent condition.
Suzuki Osamu was born in Gifu prefecture in 1934, and graduated the Tajimi Technical School ceramics division in 1953. That same year he was awarded at the 6th Dento Kogeiten Traditional Crafts Exhibition. One of the great researchers, he spent many years excavating old kiln sites in an effort to re-invent Mino ware. In 1962 he was exhibited in Prague. And the next year took a prize at the Asahi Ceramic Exhibition. Very much lauded at this time, it culminated in 1969 when he received the JCS Gold award (Japan Ceramic Society), one of the highest honors for a Japanese potter. He would receive the JCS award again in 1982, and by that point be nurturing or inspiring a number of young potters aspiring to the forgotten ways of Shino ware. He was named a Living National Treasure in 1994 for his life-work. Work by him is held in a multitude of public collections throughout the world. For more see “Japanese Studio Crafts, Tradition and the Avant-Garde” (1995) by R. Faulkner.

A large Mimitsuki Vase covered in deeply fissured celadon glaze by Suzuki Sansei (b. 1936) enclosed in the original signed wooden box. The translucent glaze is like that of an agate, shattered with heat, the crackling wide in the thick pale bluish green fog. The vase is 11 inches (28 cm) tall, 5-1/2 inches (13.5 cm) diameter and in perfect condition.
Mitsunari began with a six year apprenticeship under Kawamura Seizan and has received innumerable awards over his 40 year career. He has been displayed at most national juried exhibitions including The Nihon Dento Kogeiten (Traditional Crafts Exhibition) from 1968, The Kogei Shinsaku Ten (New Crafts Exhibition) since 1969, and Nihon Togei Ten (Japanese Ceramic Exhibition) where he received the Exhibition prize in 1981. His works have been purchased as gifts for foreign dignitaries by the Gaimusho. This piece dates circa 1995.

A polished mixed-media sculpture by Sugano Chii enclosed in a wooden box titled Kaetekita Akerakan (Akerakan Returned) featured in the book Sugano Chii (published 1997). It is 21 x 17 x 21 cm (8-1/4 x 7 x 8-1/4 inches) and is in excellent condition.
Sugano Chii was born in Saga Prefecture in 1909, on the Southern Island of Kyushu, and graduated the prefectural Saga Prefectural Ogi Girls School in 1927 before being accepted in the Tokyo Women’s Art School (Mod. Womens Art University) Western Painting Department in 1931. The following year she began working for The Shochiku Movie Studios where she would remain throughout the war years. In 1944 she took a position as art director at the Sansui Schools (mod. Toho Gakuen). In 1949 her work was accepted into the Sculpture Division of the Nika-ten and would first be awarded there in 1955. In 1957 she would be one of 13 people chosen for the Bijutsu Hihyo Art Publication. That same year she held an exhibition in cohorts with photographer Takuya Tsukahara at the swank Ginza: Ichibankan Gallery. In 1969 she becomes a permanent member o the Nikakai. In 1986 "Acceptance III" exhibited at the Spring Nikakai Exhibition is permanently displayed at the National Productivity Bureau NPB Building in Singapore. In 1991 she began production of the “Love and Melancholy” series in the wake of the Gulf War. In 1994 she was awarded for the work “Memories of the Earth” exhibited at the Spring Nikakai.

A large Tsubo with ruptured rim burnt to a mellow orange with a dusting of natural ash glaze on the shoulder by important Shigaraki artist Sawa Kiyotsugu enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Shigaraki Tsuboi. Comb marks sweep the surface like rake marks in a Zen garden, a meandering trail scored into the side like a mountain path. Slightly misshapen, it is roughly 30 x 31 x 33 cm (12-1/4 x 12 x 13 inches) and is in excellent condition.
Sawa Kiyotsugu (b. 1948), originally of Shigaraki, spent two years at the Kyoto Ceramics Research institute before a five year apprenticeship under Takahashi Shunsai back in his hometown of Shigaraki. He has been a staunch supporter of the modern revival and development of Shigaraki yaki, his works sold through a network of private exhibitions. Work by him is held in the British museum

A voluminous Chawan Tea bowl by Sawada Hayato enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Kakusai Chawan. The hand built angular form is slip glazed with black clay inlayed creating paleolithic pattens tinged with red. It is roughly 15 cm (6 inches) wide, 9.5 cm (just under 4 inches) tall and in new condition. Sawada Hayato was born in Kasama City, Ibaraki Prefecture in 1978, and graduated Ryutsu Keizai University in 2000, going on to further study at the Tokyo University of Social Welfare from which he graduated in 2004. The following year he was selected for the 52nd Japan Traditional Craft Exhibition where he would be awarded in 2012 the Japan Kōgei Association Award. In 2013 he was awarded at the Kikuchi Biennale. Since his work has been shown in Shanghai, Europe, London and the United States. His work is held in the colletions of the Ibaraki Ceramic Art Museum, Crocker Art Museum, and Cincinnati Art Museum.

Orange peel textured black Chawan by Samukawa Seiho I (Yoshikazu 1899-1975) enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Kishu Yaki Nacchi-guro Chawan. It is 5-1/4 inches (13.5 cm) diameter, 3-1/2 inches (9 cm) tall and in excellent condition.
Born in Osaka in 1900 and raised in Kyoto, Samukawa Seiho I began his apprenticeship in tea ware under Sawada Muneyama in 1919. With a letter of introduction he entered the Aichi Prefectural Ceramics Research Facility in 1927. In 1935 he moved to the Buddhist enclave of Koyasan in Wakayama where he established his first kiln. He succeeded with the development of this Nacchi-guro glaze in 1956, and it became one of the signature features of his work. In 1962, his tea bowl was presented to the Emperor. Five years later he would move, re-establishing his kiln in Shirahama-cho. He was awarded the Bunka Rodosho Cultural Prize in 1970, and in 1972 the Wakayama Order of Cultural Merit.

Red highlights the salt glazed body of this multifaceted tsubo by Seto Hiroshi enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Enseki-yu Tamentori Tsubo. Like stepping stones stomach scales of a snake climb in concentric arcs about the body of the base, the white covering most with red highlighting the edges. It is 8 inches (20 cm) tall, roughly the same diameter and in excellent condition.
Seto Hiroshi (1941-1994) studied pottery under Living National Treasures Tomimoto Kenkichi and Kondo Yuzo in Kyoto before establishing himself in Mashiko, where he served to bring tradition into the modern age with his unique look at form and glaze. He was exhibited and awarded widely including the Nihon Togei-Ten National Ceramic Exhibition and is held in any number of important Domestic and International collections.

A white porcelain vessel by Sakurai Yasuko permeated with holes in a style typical of her work. It is 16 cm diameter, 8 cm tall and in excellent condition enclosed in a paper box. According to the Met: Sakurai Yasuko first studied ceramics in Kyoto, before becoming an artist in residence in Shigaraki, and then in Limoges, France. She makes perforated, unglazed, white porcelain forms that are studies in light and shadow. These forms are created around bundles of mold-cast porcelain tubes and then connected by clay and slip.
The artist is known for her challenge of light and dark, and this sculpture with its play through holes is a quintessential example of this, the light and dark accenting each other through the patterns cut into the body. Her work is held in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art New York, the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, the Shiga Prefectural Togei no Mori Museum, the International Ceramics Museum in Florence, the Paramita Museum, among many others. For more see Touch Fire, Contemporary Japanese Ceramics by Women Artists, 2009.

Red and Blue Rivulets drip down over green melding into the ashen gray textured glaze on this Tea Jar by Sakuchi Ensen enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It is 25.5 cm (10 inches) diameter, 28.5 cm (11-1/4 inches) tall and in excellent condition. The box top is lightly stained.
Sakuchi Ensen (B. 1922) began on the path of the potter in 1946, searching to create something unusual in the hills of Okayama. His research led him to create this highly decorative yet wildly natural glaze he came to call Hishhoku Nanban Yaki.

Mottled blue in thick textured drips run down the sides over ashen glaze on this 4 eared Tsubo by Sakuchi Ensen enclosed in the original signed wooden box. The thickness of the drips adds a tactile sense to this piece, compelling the hands to reach out and touch. It is 11-1/2 inches (29.5 cm) tall 9 inches (23 cm) diameter and in fine condition. The box lid is stained.
Sakuchi Ensen (B. 1922) began on the path of the potter in 1946, searching to create something unusual in the hils of Okayama. His research led him to create this highly decorative yet wildly natural glaze he came to call Hishhoku Nanban Yaki.

A vase with a carved-comb surface of white clay by Sakiyama Takayuki enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled dating circa 1998. It is 9 x 7 x 15 cm (3-1/2 x 3 x 6 inches) and is in excellent condition.
Sakiyama Takayuki (b. 1958) graduated the Osaka Art University in 1981. In 1984 he exhibited for the first time at the Nitten National Exhibition. He established his kiln in Shizuoka in 1987, and was accepted into and prized at the National Ceramics Exhibition (Nihon Togeiten) for the first time in 1991 as well as being prized at the Nihon Gendai Kogeiten (modern crafts exhibition). In 2005 he received Grand Prize at the Nihon Togeiten. Work by the artist is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum New York, Brooklyn Museum, Minneapolis, Boston, Philadelphia, New Orleans, LACMA, Musée national de Céramique- Sèvres, France, National Museum of Scotland as well as the Museum of Ceramic Art in Hyogo and the Sano Museum among many others.

Ripples cover the archaic surface of this flattened vessel by Sakata Jinnai enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Hakudeisai Hajomon Henko (White Clay Wave Patterned Henko) It is 11 x 23 x 32 cm (4 x 9 x 13 inches) and is in excellent condition.
Sakata Jinnai was born in Tokyo in 1943, and began as an apprentice under the legendary Kamoda Shoji in 1964, establishing his first kiln in 1966. His work was selected for display at the Nihon Dento Kogei Shinsaku Ten (National Traditional New Crafts Exhibition) in 1969, and the following year the Nihon Dento Kogei Ten (National Traditional Crafts Exhibition). In 1971 his work could be seen at the first Nihon Togeiten National Ceramics Exhibition. This event would tour the United States and Canada as well. Two years later he would be seen there again, and this time the show would tour South America. In 1977 he would move away from the competitive world of mass exhibitions and focus more on private galleries. He was the first artist selected for display at the newly opened Takashimaya Gallery in New York in 1993. Work by him is held in the collection of the British Museum, Rockefeller Foundation, Sakuma Museum, Waseda Universty Museum, as well as some of Japans holiest sites such as Ise Shrine, Izumo Shrine, Takachiho Shrine, Yakushiji in Nara and both Kodaiji and Enryakuji Temples in Kyoto. Not limited to clay, he also works in painting, Washi hand made paper (from 1995), and glass (from 2000).

A fabulous textured faceted bottle shaped vase by Sakai Hiroshi enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Ai-ji Shino Ichirin Sashi (Blue Shino Single Flower Vase). It is 16.5 cm (6-1/2 inches) tall, 11.5 cm (5 inches) diameter and in excellent condition.
Sakai Hiroshi was born in Toki City in central Mino country in 1960. He graduated the Nagoya Institute of Technology in 1983, after which he spent two years at the Tajimi City Ceramic Research Facility before apprenticing under future Living National Treasure Kato Kozo. He has been exhibited or awarded at the National Traditional Crafts Exhibition (Nihon Dento Kogeiten), National Ceramic Art Exhibition (Nihon Togeiten), Asahi Ceramic Exhibition, as well as being exhibited internationally in Taiwan, Korea, and Italy among others. Work by the artist is held in the Italian Faenze Ceramic Museum, The Gifu Prefectural Museum of Modern Ceramic Art and Mino Ceramic Art Museum, both inTajimi as well as the Ibaraki Ceramic Art Museum among others.

There is nothing superfluous in the work of Saito Hiroyuki, often described as “Muda no nai utsuwa” (Vessel without waste). Here is an exquisite tea bowl in muted silver and black with a texture which will make your hands want to dance. Like the creator, it is chic, with a simplicity of form which is timeless, and yet very much rooted in the world we live in today. The bowl is 8 cm (3 inches) tall and in excellent condition, directly from the artist.
Although I would love to offer a plethora of his work, we will have to wait until our next trip to Kyushu, as Hiroyuki is now concentrating, according to his own personal policy, on the very local populace, with whom he can develop a personal relationship, and know through direct feedback that his creations are rewarding to the end user.
Saito Hiroyuki was born in Kumamoto on the Southern Island of Kyushu in 1978. He came to ceramics after 30, having worked in industry and as a florist. In his late 20 he began to ask, what is a lifelong career? A stylish fellow, he was profoundly affected by the simplicity and style of German born Hans Coper. But it was not necessarily the connections to history and a specific tradition, but the ability to express one’s unique character through clay which drew him toward the potters fold. Around 30 he had a brush with death, and in the ICU decided should he survive, he would dedicate the remainder of his life to expressing himself in earth. Survive he did, and initially he was self-taught, eschewing the practice of apprenticeship while exploring his own new path. In 2013 he entered the Gen-gama under Furumori Gen, taking over the running of the kiln the following year. In 2018 he remodeled, setting up a group studio now shared by several artists working in various mediums.

Today I would like to introduce another talented potter living outside of the traditional potting centers. This is a beautiful Nezumi Shino (Gray Shino) chawan by Sagae Eimei, and comes enclosed in the original signed wooden box. This has an immediacy which speaks of our era, yet is based firmly in the pottery of the Momoyama period. It is 12.5 cm (5 inches) diameter, 9.5 cm (3 inches) tall and in excellent condition.
Sagae Eimei was born in Yamagata prefecture in 1949. Upon graduation from high school, he moved immediately to Gifu, where he studied Mino ware under Kato Kobei and future living National Treasure Kato Kozo. In 1970 he went to Africa for two years, before establishing his first kiln in the Hachioji district of rural Tokyo. In 1975 he moved to Shizuoka, and from there specialized in Shino ware for half a century, working to the revival of Momoyama era tea ware.

A tall squared vase inlayed with the silhouette of trees against the evening sky by Saeki Moriyoshi enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Zogan Jumoku Moyo Kabin and dated 1991. This artists fascination with trees against the sky is inspiring. He has chosen to imbue his works with memories of the perfect sunset, with an autumn morning or late afternoon in winter. This piece is quite large, 18 inches (45.5 cm) tall and in excellent condition.
Saeki Moriyoshi was born into the household of sculptor Saeki Rusuo in Utsunomiya city in 1949 and attended the Musashino University of Art Design department before moving into the Tokyo University of Fine Art: Crafts Division. He was first exhibited and awarded at the 1974 Ibaraki Prefectural Art Festival, and his graduation project would receive the Salon de Plantain award the next year. As well he would be accepted in the 15th Traditional Crafts New Works Exhibition (Dento Kogei Shinsaku Ten) in 1975 where he would be consistently exhibited. He followed that up the next year with works accepted into the International Ceramics Exhibition and the 23rd National Traditional Crafts Exhibition (Nihon Dento Kogeiten, where he would be repeatedly exhibited). He continued at the University to advanced studies, and the University purchased his final project in 1977. After a stint as a potter in a professional kiln, he established his own kiln in Ibaraki prefecture in 1981. In 1983 one of his works were selected for the Kyo no Nihon Togei (Today in Japanese Pottery) exhibition which travelled to the Smithsonian and the V&A in London. From 1987-2001 he would be a guest professor at his alma-mater, the Tokyo University of Fine Art. As well from 1987 he would exhibit nearly every time at the Nihon Togeiten National Ceramics Exhibition. In ’89 he would be granted the Cultural Award from Ibaraki Prefecture. He would receive many prizes at various exhibitions over the years including the aforementioned as well as the Issuikai Ten exhibition, Mashiko Ceramics Exhibition, and Shinsaku Togeiten (New Ceramic Artworks) exhibition, and in 2002 the Imperial Household Agency would acquire one of his works. His works are held in the Shiga Prefectureal Togei No Mori Museum, Sano City Yoshizawa Museum, and Worcester Art Museum among others.

Brilliant firing affects decorate this deep tapering cup of raw clay by Tsuji Seimei enclosed in the original signed wooden box. A classic work relying truly on Tsuchi-no-aji, or the taste of the clay. There is no attempt at overt decoration of sculpture, just a perfectly formed cup with a slightly wider base blasted in the furnace with black charring, thin rivulets of molten ash and lots of Hi-iro. It is 12.5 cm (5 inches) tall and in excellent condition.
Tsuji Seimei (1927-2008) was born the son of an antique dealer in Tokyo in 1927. He was a childhood prodigy, and had acquired a reputation before leaving school, allowing him to meet many of the great artists of his day. In 1941 he established a studio with his sister. In 1955 he built his own studio in Tama City, choosing Shigaraki as his medium, he fired prodigiously. He married Tsuji Kyo, also a potter, and together they formed a team which helped define the blending of post-war traditional and non-functional ceramics.