Catalog: Artists (1023)

A most extraordinary glaze like green velvet covers this tall bottle form vase by modern Japanese pottery master Imai Masayuki enclosed in the original signed wooden box dating circa 1970. The long tapering from is expertly rolled at the mouth, the soft absorbent textured glaze lying perfectly smooth over all. The hada, or feeling of the surface is unlike any I have ever seen, and a drop of water is instantly absorbed by the porous surface. The vase is 16 inches (45 cm) tall and in excellent condition. Imai was born in Osaka in 1930 and studied the plastic arts under Kusube Yaichi of Kyoto, the city he chose to make home. He has been a long standing and often exhibited member of the Nitten, receiving the Hokuto Award there. He also took the grand prize at the International Biennale of Contemporary Ceramics as well as the prestigious Japan Ceramic Society Award in 1965. He is mentor and teacher to a new generation of Japanese potters including Ichino Masahiko.

Bold colors ripple and bead like oil on the surface of this multifaceted object by Hashimoto Tomonari enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It is 27 x 24 x 23 cm (11 x 9-1/2 x 9 inches) and comes with a signed wooden box, directly from the artist.
Hashimoto Tomonari was born the son of a sculptor and has felt comfortable with the processes of creation since childhood. He graduated with a masters from the Kanazawa University of Art in March 2017, then relocated to Shigaraki. A visit to his humble home studio is eye opening. Although he comes across as shy in conversation, when you move on to the subject of art, he is all confidence. He was named a finalist for the Loewe Craft Prize in 2019 and is making international waves around the world. Work by him is held in the V&A in London, LACMA and a large sculpture has recently been installed in his home prefecture of Wakayama.

A cluster of succulent flowers blossom among the vibrant leaves of the loquat tree on this unusually shaped vessel by Sueoka Nobuhiko enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It is 28 cm wide, 36 cm tall and in excellent condition.
Sueoka Nobuhiko was born in Fukuoka on Japans Main Sothern Island in 1948, and apprenticed under future Living National Treasure Fujimoto Yoshimichi in 1973. He stayed working with Yoshimichi for 16 years, before establishing his own kiln in 1989, and moving to mountainous Nagano Prefecture in 1995. Although he has been displayed at the Nihon Dento Kogei Ten (National Traditional Crafts Exhibition) the artist has mostly eschewed the world of National competitions in favor of private exhibition. With small output works by this artist are hard to find and very much in demand.

A mesh of copper draperies hang over the dark black of this unusually shaped Tsubo by Tenmoku specialist Kimura Moriyasu enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Shoju Tenmoku Henko. Shoju Tenmoku, literally Pine-Needle-Tenmoku, is a glaze technique where the effect joins in a mesh like pine needles overlapping, very difficult to pull off, but here Moriyasu has done it masterfully. The vessel is 30.5 cm (12 inches) tall, 19 x 16 cm (7-1/2 x 6 inches) and is in excellent condition.
Born into the Kimura family in Kyoto in 1935 the youngest of four children, it was only natural for Moriyasu to move into ceramics, following and training under his brother Morikazu and learning decorating techniques from his father. It was in 1959 (at the age of 24) when Moriyasu gained National attention as he was selected as one of the participants at the Modern Ceramics of Japan exhibition at the National Museum of Art. Into the 60s he began exhibition with the Nihon Dento Kogeiten National Traditional Crafts Exhibition. It was when viewing a National Treasure Tsubo in the Atake collection that he was moved to express himself solely through the perfection of Tenmoku oil spot glazes. He is held in several important public collections, including the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, Dallas and Houston Museums, Peabody Essex Museum, National Palace Museum Taiwan, as well as the collection of Ise Shrine.

What a pleasure to hold this deep precipitous vessel! Here the artist indicates it is for drinking shochu, a strong Japanese spirit, and one that he is quite familiar with as I can attest from our occasional outings together. It is as merry as the Takuma himself. Covered in his signature Shunju glaze, it is roughly 10 cm diameter, the same height, and in perfect condition, enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Shunju Shochu-nomi
Murakoshi Takuma is one of those enigmas who simply lives to work with clay. He does not seek to make a living through pottery, but through his primal approach has earned a following which keeps his work in high demand. He was born in Aichi prefecture in 1954 and began his stroll down the pottery path in 1980 under the tutelage of Kyoto potter Umehara Takehira. Favoring very rough Shigaraki glaze, he established his own kiln in 1997 in the Kiyomizu pottery district of Kyoto, then moved to Nagaoka in 2002. Although eschewing the world of competitive exhibitions, he has been picked up by many of Japan’s preeminent galleries, including private exhibitions at the prestigious Kuroda Toen of Tokyo’s Ginza District.

This guinomi by Watanabe Takuma complements the gourd-like Sake Server currently being offered. It feels as if it has been hewn from a lump of wood, the texture of tree bark on the fingers striking a natural accord with the gourd-like sense of the overturned bottle. has a variegated surface like patched together metal plates, with brilliant coloration. It comes enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Bizen Sake-nomi. It is roughly 6 cm (2-1/2 inches) diameter and in excellent condition acquired this summer from the artist.
Watanabe Takuma was born in Hyogo prefecture in 1968, and after graduating Kansai Daigaku University in 1991, began studying Bizen ware under Yamauchi Atsushi. In 1996 he entered the Bixen Toen Kiln. Shortly thereafter he began exhibiting and has receied numerous awards at the Okayama Prefectural Exhibition (Okayama Ken Bijutsu ten), National Traditional Crafts Exhibition (Nihon Dento Kogeiten), Issui-kai-ten, as well as being selected for the influential Tanabe Museum Modern Forms in Tea Exhibition among others. He built his own kin in 2006.

An organic form slabbed and hollowed out from a block of clay by revolutionary Hagi artist Kaneta Masanao enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Hagi Kurinuki Tokkuri. The vessel is covered in pale smooth glaze, like river-rock, some jagged stone worn smooth and polished by centuries of rushing water. It is 15 cm (6 inches) tall and in excellent condition.
Kaneta Masanao likely needs no introduction, certainly one of Hagi’s most well-known and easily identifiable names. Although an eighth-generation potter inheriting an overtly conservative tradition, he has transcended limitations, and was one of the first to begin carrying Hagi into the 21st century. His work evokes a distinct tension between both function and form, and technique and tradition. he has been displayed both nationally and internationally innumerable times. His pieces are in the collection of the Tokyo National Museum of Modern Art, Yamaguchi Prefectural Museum and Museum of Modern Art Brooklyn. He has been displayed at the Nihon Dento Kogei Ten and Nihon Togei Ten among many many others.

A fabulous little Tsubo excavated from the sea of embers on the floor of an Anagama kiln by Murakoshi Takuma enclosed in the original signed wooden box. The body is entirely encrusted inside and out with a thick layer of charred natural ash encrustations, one side with a rivulet of shiny glass wrapping the neck. It is 15 cm (6 inches) diameter, 20 cm (8 inches) tall and in excellent condition, directly from the artist.
Murakoshi Takuma is one of those enigmas who simply lives to work with clay. He does not seek to make a living through pottery, but through his primal approach has earned a following which keeps his work in high demand. He was born in Aichi prefecture in 1954 and began his stroll down the pottery path in 1980 under the tutelage of Kyoto potter Umehara Takehira. Favoring very rough Shigaraki glaze, he established his own kiln in 1997 in the Kiyomizu pottery district of Kyoto, then moved to Nagaoka in 2002. Although eschewing the world of competitive exhibitions, he has been picked up by many of Japan’s preeminent galleries, including private exhibitions at the prestigious Kuroda Toen of Tokyo’s Ginza District.

Vivid dark ash forms emerald pools in the center of these 5 ogi-men (round fan) shaped slabs by Murakoshi Takuma. Size, shape, color, texture: these are perfect for showing off your signature dish with style. They are roughly 16 x 20 cm (6 x 8 inches), 2 cm (1 inch) thick and in excellent condition, directly from the artist this winter. We have currently not had a box made for these to keep the price and shipping fee down, but one can be prepared if desired for 75 dollars.
Murakoshi Takuma is one of those enigmas who simply lives to work with clay. He does not seek to make a living through pottery, but through his primal approach has earned a following which keeps his work in high demand. If there is anything he is known for, it is without a doubt his legendary status among restaurants and Izakaya as the man to make your food presentation perfect. He was born in Aichi prefecture in 1954 and began his stroll down the pottery path in 1980 under the tutelage of Kyoto potter Umehara Takehira. Favoring very rough Shigaraki glaze, he established his own kiln in 1997 in the Kiyomizu pottery district of Kyoto, then moved to Nagaoka in 2002. Although eschewing the world of competitive exhibitions, he has been picked up by many of Japan’s preeminent galleries, including private exhibitions at the prestigious Kuroda Toen of Tokyo’s Ginza District.

One of three vibrant sake cups by Nakashima Katsuko enclosed in the original singed wooden box titled Hai. Always cheerful, I love sharing a joyous cup with Katsuko. It is 6.5 cm (2-1/2 inches) diameter and in excellent condition, directly from the artist.
Nakashima Katsuko graduated the Osaka School of Art and Design and first garnered attention with a silver prize at the Nihon Tojiki Ceramics Design competition in 1984. Her works have been selected for display and awarded at the Asahi Gendai Kogeiten Contemporary Craft Exhibition (awarded 1997), Mino International Ceramics Festival (Bronze award 1998) , Gyeonggi-do International Ceramics Exhibition, Korea, Gold prize in 2003 and Grand Prize at the Kobe International Ceramics Competition among a host of others.

An ash encrusted vase by Kanzaki Shio enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Shigaraki Hanaire. Perfect for the tea room, it exudes that sense of quietude and degradation (Wabisabi) central to that aesthetic. It is 27 cm (10-1/2 inches) tall and in excellent condition.
Kanzaki Shiho (1942-2018) preferred firing his kiln for ten days, resulting in the rich textures and heavy ash deposits apparent on his work. He was born in Shigaraki, and was fast tracked into the Kansai University Law Department, but rather the life of a lawyer, after graduation he went with his heart to take up the precarious life of a potter, apprenticing under Mino artist Matsuyama Suketoshi. Later he returned to Shigaraki working there at the research center while developing his own style and methods with the Anagama. He consistently stayed with the personal world of private exhibitions, developing a large following both at home and abroad and his list of exhibitions is impressive. He has been the subject of several documentaries and Television interviews, and is widely published. For more information see, The Fire Artist, a documentary by Canadian Director Claude Gagnon. He unfortunately passed away last year and these may be the last pieces we have by him.

The ultimate in crusty, a radical charred vessel by Kanzaki Shiho enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Iga Hanaire. Two sides are completely blackened and coated in Koge-charring. Opposite the darkness gives way to tombo-no-me (Dragonfly eyes) with thick encrustations around the base, a stream of yellow cascading down one clefted face. It is 21.5 cm (8-1/2 inches) tall and in excellent condition.
(Kanzaki Shiho (1942-2018) preferred firing his kiln for ten days, resulting in the rich textures and heavy ash deposits apparent on his work. He was born in Shigaraki, and was fast tracked into the Kansai University Law Department, but rather the life of a lawyer, after graduation he went with his heart to take up the precarious life of a potter, apprenticing under Mino artist Matsuyama Suketoshi. Later he returned to Shigaraki working there at the research center while developing his own style and methods with the Anagama. He consistently stayed with the personal world of private exhibitions, developing a large following both at home and abroad and his list of exhibitions is impressive. He has been the subject of several documentaries and Television interviews, and is widely published. For more information see, The Fire Artist, a documentary by Canadian Director Claude Gagnon.

Glaze Bidoro sweep upwards toward one red eye on this amazing tsubo by Yukuyoshi Manabe enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Bizen Yohen Tsubo. It is 11 inches (28 cm) diameter, 10-1/4 inches (26 cm) tall and in excellent condition.
Yukuyoshi Manabu was born in Kagatonishi near the heart of Bizen country in 1941. After working in Osaka as a young man, he returned to Bizen to assist the family building supply company. There he began to study clay under Mori Hozan and Ohira Seinosuke. After rebuilding an old kiln, he established his own. He ahs exhibited with the Issuikai Ten, the Chunichi Kokusai Togeiten, the National Ceramic Exhibition (Nihon Togeiten) among many others and has received a great many awards over his career.

A earth-textured smoky black vase by Sato Kazuhiko enclosed in a superb signed wooden boxwith mori-buta (domed-lid) titled Kokuto Tsubo. It is 34.5 cm (13-1/2 inches) tall and in excellent condition. One of my personal favorites, Sato Kazuhiko was born in Kanagawa prefecture in 1947. He graduated the Tokyo University of Art Ceramic department advanced studies in 1972. Trained under Living National Treasures Tamura Koichi and Fujimoto Yoshimichi, his graduation work was awarded a prize. He held his first solo exhibition the next year, a difficult feat for a young artist. In 1979 his work was displayed in New York’s Bloomingdales Department store, and the following year he was selected for exhibition in Sidney and Melbourne, Australia. Three years later his works would travel to Washington DC and London. From there he blossomed, one can only wonder how he kept up with the demand or the number of exhibitions he was asked for each year. He is a widely displayed artist and author of many books on the ceramic arts. He also plays guitar and piano, self-taught! For more information on this artist see Modern Japanese Ceramics in American Collections (1993).

A proud form of a fulling block inscribed with a wave pattern in the raw clay of the base and covered in ame-yu glaze by Inoue Toya enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It is 9-1/2 inches (24 cm) tall, 6 inches (15 cm) diameter and in excellent condition.
Inoue Toya (1942-2013), graduated the prestigious Nihon Daigaku in 1966, having spent his student years excavating ancient Karatsu shards and researching their techniques. He apprenticed under the multifaceted potter Nushi Ensai. In 1969 he opened his own kiln. He served as head of the Karatsu Ceramic Cooperative from 1983-2010 while focusing on private exhibitions held at Department stores and galleries throughout Japan. In 2008 his lifetime achievements were recognized with a private exhibition in Los Angeles.

A large Egg shaped Zogan vase by Kobayashi Seiji enclosed in the original signed wooden box. Enigmatic lines score the oblong body, the map-like surface filled with blue, green and silver. Seiji is best known for this Zogan technique, and this work is a superb example. It measures 11-1/2 inches (29 cm) long, 7 inches (18.5 cm) tall and is in perfect condition. Seiji (b. 1945) studied initially at the Nagoya Research Facility. He moved to Kasama in 1979. In addition to a long list pf private exhibitions his works have been exhibited at Nihon Dento Kogei Ten (National Traditional Crafts Exhibition), Nihon Togei Ten (NationalCeramics Exhibition) and he won top prize at the 1985 New Zealand International Ceramics Exhibition.

A little warmth on a cold winter day, lets have a look at cheerful works of Tokugawa Hiroshi. Here is a deep “Apple Shaped” tea bowl covered in lightly crackled Ki-Seto (Yellow Seto) glaze fired upside down so that the glaze coalesces at the rim into a thin bead of yellow glass. It is 12.5 cm (5 inches) diameter and comes enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Ki-Seto Chawan with Shiori and Shifuku.
Tokugawa Hiroshi graduated the Gifu Prefetural Industrial High School in 2002, studying under Living National Treasure Kato Kozo. He moved to Kakegawa City in Shizuoka in 2008, opening a kiln there in 2010. He has exhibited with the Nihon Dento Kogeiten National Crafts Exhibition, Mino Togeiten regional Exhibition, Kikuchi Biennale, Gendai Chato-ten (Modern Tea Ware) Exhibition as well as several international exhibitions garnering a number of prizes along the way and in 2017 his work was collected by the Imperial family.

A delicate white Raku bowl of incredibly light weight, the tall walls like a Japanese castle in the riven clouds by Sugimoto Sadamitsu enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled simply Shiro Chawan. It is 12.5 x 13 x 10 cm (5 x 5-1/8 x 4 inches) and is in excellent condition.
Sugimoto Sadamitsu was born in Tokyo in 1935. A strong adherent to the Zen tradition, Sadamitsu established his own kiln at 33, receiving the kiln name from his mentor Daitokuji priest Tachibana Daiki. His Zen studies have refined the spiritual side of his work, and all of his wood fired ceramics have a quiet and confident power. He has spent his life in the research of kohiki, Shigaraki Iga and Raku wares, and is more than well known in tea circles for the discriminating soul of his works. For more information on this artist see the book Fired with passion : contemporary Japanese ceramics ISBN 1-891640-38-0.