Catalog: Artists: Ceramics: Pottery (587)

A life-size feminine image of a toilet slipper by Satonaka Hideto in light colored clay covered with Irabo glaze enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled simply Sakuhin and dating circa 1975. It is just over 9 inches (23.5 cm) long and in excellent condition. From the 1950s to the 1970s there was a deep interest in an earthy convention by young ceramic artists called Tsuchi no Aji (Taste of the earth), and this Irabo glaze may have been one of the most popular extensions of that aesthetic. Tsuchi no Aji is defined as "the beautiful complexion of bare fired earth" in the manner of several types of ancient Japanese pottery traditions and practiced anew by contemporary Japanese potters in the postwar period who admired it as a "natural feeling for the oneness of clay and kiln." Experiments with earth flavor in the sculptural ceramics of the Sōdeisha group ranged from forms suggesting live organisms to clay works that protested the industrial pollution of the earth.
Satonaka Hideto (1932-1989) was born in Nagoya and graduated advanced studies at the prestigious Tokyo Kyoiku University Arts Department in 1956, then went on to study under Miyanohara Ken, exhibiting his first ceramic sculpture with the Totokai in 1961, and garnering the Itaya Hazan Prize for it. Throughout the ‘60s he would exhibit there earning several awards as well as at the Sankikai. From 1970 he moved to the circle of Yagi Kazuo, and would fall under the umbrella of Sodeisha. Two of his works would be selected and awarded for the first Nihon Togeiten National Ceramics Exhibition in 1971. The following year he would be awarded at the Faenza International Ceramics Exhibition. He would leave Sodeisha after the death of his mentor in 1979. He would participate in the Valauris International Ceramic Biennale among many other overseas extravaganzas. While working as a professor at the Bunkyo University Art Department hi life ended suddenly in an automobile accident in 1989. Six works by him are held in both the National Museums of Modern Art in Tokyo and Kyoto

A refined set of Tokkuri and Sake-cup by Banura Shiro enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled simply Shuki. Exquisite, the flask is more delicate than usual, with a long diaphanous spout and decidedly thin rim. This is made for a discerning drinker, entirely about quality not volume. The cup too is perfectly formed with a thin rim everted ever so slightly, a pleasure to drink from. This set is the perfect complement to a true kaiseki meal. The bottle is 12 cm (4-5/8 inches) tall, the cup 5.8 cm (2-1/4 inches) diameter and both are in perfect condition.
Banura Shiro (1941-2001) was born the fourth son of influential Lacquer Artist Banura Shogo. His sensitivity to textures may stem from that exacting influence. Although his older brother succeeded the family tradition (another branching into paper arts), Shiro, after graduating the Kyoto University of Fine Art, apprenticed in the plastic arts under Kawamura Kitaro (1899-1966) who was a student of Kitaoji Rosanjin. Rosanjin, a restaurateur, artist, and overall renaissance man believed the dish was there to support and bring out the beauty of food served. Shiro took this as his raison d’etre; his lifetime pursuit to create dishes which complimented the seasonality, texture, color and flavor. He had an impressive list of exhibitions, including a private exhibition at the Umeda Kindai Bijutsu-Ten as well as the Niponbashi Mitsukoshi, Takashimaya, and Ikebukuro Tobu, the equivalent of being displayed on New Yorks Fifth Avenue or other cities most Trendy streets, as well as many international exhibitions. Like most Iga-area artists, his output was low, but quality and originality high, making his work very much in demand.

Ethnic designs in brilliant crimson red decorate this ewer by Yoshikawa Mitsuru enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Aka-e no Binshi (Red Decorated Server). It is 15 x 12 x 15 cm (6 x 4-3/4 x 6 inches) and is in excellent condition. Together with the sake cups and sake pot, this would be a wonderful service set for two. Anyone wishing to purchase this group will receive a proper discount.
Yoshikawa Mitsuru was born in Kyoto in 1949, graduating the Kyoto Municipal University of Arts advanced studies in ceramics in 1976. He has been exhibited at the Asahi Craft Exhibition, Nihon Togeiten National Ceramics Exhibition, Asahi Togeiten Ceramics Exhibition and his works have been collected by Kyoto City. He has been picked up by many of Japan’s preeminent galleries, including private exhibitions at the prestigious Takashimaya and Kuroda Toen of Tokyo’s Ginza District.

A brilliantly colored bowl studded with shiseki and slashes of black by Banura Shiro enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It is 14 cm diameter, 7 cm tall and in excellent condition.
Banura Shiro (1941-2001) was born the fourth son of influential Lacquer Artist Banura Shogo. His sensitivity to textures may stem from that exacting influence. Although his older brother succeeded the family tradition (another branching into paper arts), Shiro, after graduating the Kyoto University of Fine Art, apprenticed in the plastic arts under Kawamura Kitaro (1899-1966) who was a student of Kitaoji Rosanjin. Rosanjin, a restaurateur, artist, and overall renaissance man believed the dish was there to support and bring out the beauty of food served. Shiro took this as his raison d’etre; his lifetime pursuit to create dishes which complimented the seasonality, texture, color and flavor. He had an impressive list of exhibitions, including a private exhibition at the Umeda Kindai Bijutsu-Ten as well as the Niponbashi Mitsukoshi, Takashimaya, and Ikebukuro Tobu, the equivalent of being displayed on New Yorks Fifth Avenue or other cities most Trendy streets, as well as many international exhibitions. Like most Iga-area artists, his output was low, but quality and originality high, making his work very much in demand.

An absolute classic natural ash glazed sake bottle by the reclusive potter Oasako Mikio enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Hai Yu Tokkuri (ash glazed flask). Much of the dark surface is raw clay, with coals charring the front and tremulous tears of liquified ash dripping down both inside and out. It is 12 cm tall and in excellent condition.
Osako Mikio (1940-1995), born in Usa Oita prefecture on the Island of Kyushu, arrived at ceramics late in life, starting to study with Ezaki Issei at the Tokonmane ceramic Research Center in 1968 and staying with his teacher until he built his first kiln in 1982.. He received Grand Prize at the International Biennial of Ceramics in Vallauris, France in 1972. Known for his yakishime and ash glazed pottery, His profound understanding of wood firing, post firing and pottery in general was exceptional and his forms and surfaces are mature beyond his years of experience. A fitting quote by Dr. Frederick Baekeland from the catalogue; Modern Japanese Ceramics in American Collections, sums up the true nature of the potter and his pots; “The strong, conventional potting and rich sobriety of Osako’s ceramics appeal to modern taste and accords well with the aesthetic canons of the tea ceremony.”

A sculpture of unglazed white porcelain and wood by Yagi Akira enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Jiki CLOD 92-13 (Porcelain Mass CLOD 92-13) exhibited at Gallery Koyanagi in Tokyo’s fashionable Ginza district in 1992. The original exhibition invitation card, featuring this piece, is included. The stand is 18 inches (46 cm) long an all is in excellent condition.
This name is a must have in any collection of modern Japanese Pottery. Akira was born in Kyoto in 1955, son of avant garde Yagi Kazuo (1918-1979) one of the founding members of Sodeisha. Akira was voted one of the 20 most important living artists by Honoho, Japans premier printed ceramic forum. Works by the artist are held in the British Museum, Victoria Albert Museum, Cleveland Art Museum, Sackler Gallery of the Smithsonian and Tokyo Muesum of Modern Art among many others. He was also the recipient of the Japan Ceramic Society (JCS) award in 1998, one in a long and prestigious list of awards.

Ash is blasted around from the charred front of this amazing Tsubo by Harada Togetsu enclosed in the original signed wooden box. What an amazing looking piece, highlighting all the best in Bizen qualities. The first time I spotted this piece I could not halt my expressing something about the godlike nature of Feces (oddly?!) It is 10 inches (25 cm) tall, roughly the same diameter and in excellent condition.
Harada Togetsu (b. 1917) began potting in earnest late in life, in the early 60s, breaking out on his own in 1968. Potting more for personal pleasure than business, each piece is hand selected and meets some inner criteria. The kiln is now headed by the second generation.

A fabulous thin walled Bizen basin made for use as a fresh water container for the Japanese Tea Ceremony with black lacquered wooden lid enclosed in the original signed wooden box by Living National Treasure Yamamoto Toshu. This burnished style reminiscent of sangiri techniques is the signature work of this important Bizen artist. Here a plethora of colors vie for dominance on the ordinarily sedate brown clay. It is 22 cm diameter, 13 cm tall and in excellent condition.
For more on this important artist sea the recent exhibition: The Bizen, at the Miho Museum in Shiga prefecture, in which a number of this artists’ works were featured. Yamamoto Toshu (1906-1994) began working in a pottery at the age of 15. 12 years later (1933) he went independent, but interestingly decided to train again later not under a Bizen master, but Kusube Yaichi, perhaps stimulating his unusual eye for Bizen. After much acclaim, it was in 1959 that he made his worldwide appearance, with a gold prize at the Brussels World Exposition, and was named an important cultural property of Okayama that same year. He was most in love with the wheel, and his forms are crisp and sharp. He was named a living national Treasure in 1987. Works by the artist are held in the National Museum of Modern Art Tokyo and National Museum of Modern Art Kyoto as well as the Victoria Albert Museum among many others.

A fabulous form in striking colors by Miwa Eizo enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Hagi Hanaire. Raised from a square, the vase has been flattened, covered in Hagi glaze, then the shorter corners slabbed away revealing the raw clay. Thus fired, it is an engaging work of art, obviously buried slightly in the embers on one side, where it goes from smokey gray to mottled lavender and white into pink as it rises. It is 21 x 21 cm (8 x 8 inches) at the base, 30 cm (12 inches) tall and in excellent condition.
Miwa Eizo (1946-1999) was born the second son of Living National Treasure Miwa Kyusetsu XI. He graduated the Private Musashino Art University and was a member of Japanese Traditional Crafts Society, often displayed at their National Exhibition (Nihon Dento Togeiten). He was recipient of top prize at the Tanabe Museums prestigious Modern Tea Forms Exhibition (Gendai Cha no Yu Zokei Ten). ). Unfortunately, he died in 1999 at the early age of fifty two. His brother Ryosaku succeeded the family name as Miwa Kyusetsu XII. He is held in the collection of the British Museum and The National Museum of Modern Art in Tokyo among others. For more on this artist see the book: The Ceramic Works of Eizo Miwa (2001) published posthumously by the preeminent Kuroda Toen art gallery of Tokyo.

Although I love Bizen pottery for myself, I rarely offer it on the website as the colors are so subtle and designs often so very Japanese. This Chawan by (certainly for her era) the rare female potter Konishi Toko II is a striking exception. It stands out in a room of Bizen as if ringing a bell. This bowl is slightly smaller than normal, with a feminine grace to be found in the gentle curves, 10.5 cm diameter, 8.5 cm (3-1/4 inches) tall and in excellent condition enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled simply Bizen Chawan. The Sangiri surface is exceptional and smooth, almost wet looking, and covered in meandering waves of hi-iro color. Toko I developed the technique, a way to incorporate different shades of white, blue or gray to high-fired red pottery through oxidation without glaze. Toko II continued and expanded the tradition.
Konishi Toko II (Mitsue, 1927-2018) was born the second daughter of Konishi Toko I (1899-1954) and of course, learned from her father upon completion of her schooling. She took over the family business after her father died in 1954, in a very difficult time for Japan, battling against the effects of modernization and the lingering effects of the war and poverty of the early post war era as well as the handicap of being female in a very male-centric tradition. She was a powerhouse, carrying the kiln through the tumultuous years and was succeeded by her own son Tozo (b. 1957) who heads the family kiln today.

It is amazing the number of shades of gray playing across this simple tile-sculpture by Hayami Shiro. Just less than 2 feet (59 cm) tall. There is a small chip in the base (see photos). Due to size shipping will be accrued separately.
Hayami Shiro (b. 1927) was born in Kagawa Prefecture in 1927, and graduated the Tokushima Industrial University in 1949. His first exhibitions did not materialize until 1964, and from there he flourished. From the late 60s he began exhibiting in National Sculpture exhibitions, and has been often awarded; best known for Tile works and stone sculpture. In 2000 he received the International Artistic Cultural Award (Kokusai Geijutsu Bunka Sho). A prominent work by this artist is on semi-permanent display in front of the Freer Gallery, adjacent to the Smithsonian Museum on loan from the Hirshhorn Collection. Other works are held by the Togei No Mori Museum of Shiga Prefecture, Tokyo City Hall and the Aichi Art Culture Center. A piece by this artist was sold at Bonhams in 2007.

Enclosed in the original signed wooden box dated 1998. It is 16 x 10 x 12 inches (40 x 25 x 30 cm) and is in fine condition. Yanigahara Mutsuo (b.1934) was raised in Seto, and studied in Kyoto along with contemporary Morino Taimei with whom he maintained a lifelong friendship. His work is largely sculptural, and his choice of colors is his reflection on the decadence of Japanese society. A list of exhibitions and awards would be much too long but includes the Japan Ceramics Society Gold prize in 2002. Listed as one of the most influential potters of the 20th century in the Japanese ceramics magazine Honoho Geijutsu, he is held in the Museum of Modern Art, both Tokyo and Kyoto (MOMAT, MOMAK), The National Museum of Art, Osaka, V&A, Great Victoria Art Gallery, Portland and any number of other prominent public and private collections throughout the world. For more see Japanese Studio Crafts, Tradition and the Avant Garde by Rupert Faulkner.
According to the V&A his “work is striking for its blend of dynamism, colour and wit. A leading figure among Kyoto artists, Yanagihara has taught at Osaka University of Arts since 1968. Yanagihara's application of brightly coloured abstract motifs to vessel forms with anatomical, sometime sexually explicit features - a combination with which he first experimented in the late 1960s and early 1970s - has been a characteristic of his work for the past fifteen years. As in the case of Morino Taimei, a close friend and exact contemporary at Kyoto City University of Arts in the late 1950s, Yanagihara has been considerably influenced by the experiences he gained during two periods of teaching in the United States in 1966-8 and 1972-4. His use of gold and silver - a wry comment, he has explained, on the decaying values of contemporary society and the corruption of Japan's political system - echoes the extravagant style of certain North American artists.”

This is an amazing work of art, a quashed flaring bucket form covered in hi-iro flame color and natural ash glaze with large silver repairs by Shigaraki legend Tsuji Seimei enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Yohen Mizusashi. Fired on its side, the piece has warped slightly in the conflagration, flying ash and embers settling on the inside opposite where it has adhered to the kiln floor, apparent as a large kutsuki above a large silver repair. Where it has gone oblong, the artist has filled lightning cracks with silver. Complimenting it, the custom made black lacquered wooden lid has also silver repairs looping along the edges. Incredibly pleasing to behold, it is 25.5 x 20 x 19 cm (10 x 8 x 7-1/2 inches and is 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.

An early piece from the Mudai series by Takiguchi Kazuo enclosed in the original signed wooden box. Unlike his later works which featured stone-like glazes, this glaze is soft and crinkled on the surface, like an undersea life form. It is 15-1/2 x 8 x 10 inches (39 x 20.5 x 25 cm) and is in excellent condition. Kazuo is an exceedingly sought after Kyoto artist, one of the heirs of the original Sodeisha movement. Born in 1953, he studied economics at Doshisha Univesity while making a brief sojourn into the studio of Kiyomizu Rokubei. However it was later under Yagi Kazuo at the Kyoto University of Art that he would begin to find his feet in the mud. He then went abroad to study at the Royal College of Art, graduating in 1982. The awards began rolling in in 1985, with prizes at the Nihon Togei Ten National Ceramics Exhibition and the Nihon Shin Kogei Ten New Crafts Exhibition. The following year was the Chunichi Kokusai Togei Ten and Kyoto Prefectural Arts and Crafts Association Exhibition. From there the list grows exponentially, including the JCS award, one of the most coveted prizes of them all. And he has been collected by a numbe of important institutions. According to a description from the V&A Museum in London:
For Takiguchi Kazuo, the young Kyoto-based maker of the large stoneware vessel, the development of a personal sculptural idiom has been closely associated with the pioneering of a particular method of hand-building.
The technique involves preparing a large sheet of extremely thin clay that is then folded and joined in a dynamic sequence of movements into a structure immediately resembling that of the intended final form. In the mid-1980s, when Takiguchi first used the technique, he lifted the clay up from the floor. Because this limited him to rather box-like shapes he went on to develop a way of draping the clay over moulds made from loosely assembled components and making his forms upside down. The new method allowed him to achieve the greater sense of fullness that he sought. At the same time the possibility of rearranging the components of the moulds allowed him to experiment with a much wider range of shapes than before. Having made a basic form, Takiguchi uses a number of secondary techniques to give it definition and character. These include pushing the walls out from the inside, compressing them from the outside, and cutting and joining, sometimes with the addition or removal of segments of clay.
Takiguchi's exploration of formal issues of shape, colour and texture through the making of individual works has been accompanied by his growing interest in the relationship between his sculptures and the surroundings in which they are displayed. When he is preparing for an exhibition he begins by making an exhaustive study of the venue using sketches, photographs and videos. It is only then that he starts to make any work. He develops his forms with the aim of creating an environment in which sculptures and surroundings are integrated into a single whole. The nature of a given series of work is determined by the process of planning for a particular exhibition and the total installation, usually incorporating an arrangement of props especially prepared for the occasion, is presented as an artistic statement in its own right.

Swirling white brush strokes decorated with dabs of iron like leaves blowing in wind on this square form by Living National Treasure Shimaoka Tatsuzo enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Hakeme Take Moyo Hoko (Bamboo Pattern on Brush Stroke Square Bottle). It is 10-1/2 inches (27 cm ) tall and in excellent condition.
After serving in World War II, Tatsuzo apprenticed under world famous Mashiko Mingei potter Hamada Shoji, establishing his own kiln in 1954. Working with rope patterns, Tatsuzo set out to create a style unique to himself, resulting in the piece you see here, which is quintessential Tatsuzo. In 1996 he was designated a Living National Treasure (Juyo Mukei Bunkazai or Ningenkokuho).

Lavish charring on two sides contrasts with sliding Hai-yu glaze opposite on this thick and bold vase by Masamune Kengo enclosed in the original signed wooden box. The vase is 16 by 13 inches (40 by 33 cm) across, 11 inches (28 cm) tall and in excellent condition. The artist has been largely exhibited and prized, including the Chunichi Kokusai Togei Ten, Nihon Dento Kogei Ten, Nihon Togei ten, Issui Kai Ten, and Okayama Ken Ten.

A stunning large Vase by important Hagi artist Yamato Yasuo enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Hagi Ensai Henko (Flattened Hagi Vase in Flame Color). The top is raw earth burnt red by the flame, Below dark iron turns to ocher then the soft earthen beige of hagi, which gives way to pink, then cream before turning dark gray. It is 36.5 x 13 x 35 cm (14-1/2 x 5 x 14 inches) and is in excellent condition.
It is likely no collector of Hagi will need an introduction to this innovative artist. Yamato Yasuo was born in 1933 to a long line of Hagi potters. He learned under his father Harunobu and grandfather Shoroku. One of the first to challenge many traditions associated with Hagi Yaki. He was displayed with Sodeisha, Kofukai, the Nitten, Nihon Dento Togei Ten, Nihon Togei Ten among many others. His list of prizes is most impressive and much too long to write here and his influence on the world of Hagi pottery will likely be the source of a thesis someday in the not too distant future! He has been named an important cultural asset of Yamaguchi Prefecture (ken Juyo Mukei Bunkazai) and is held in the collection of the British Museum among many others.

Exquisite colors pool and drip on this oil spot glazed vase by Living National Treasure Shimizu Uichi enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Kamahen Tenmoku-yu Kabin dating circa 1970. It is 22.3 cm (9 inches) tall, 16.5 cm (6-1/2 inches) diameter and is in excellent condition.
Shimizu Uichi (1926-2004) was born in Kyoto the son of a ceramic dealer. Discarding the family business he apprenticed in plastic arts under Ishiguro Munemaro. His work retains some principal elements of his teacher’s style while incorporating an understated elegance and avant-garde spirit of challenge uncommon for his time. He was first exhibited at the Nitten in 1951, receiving numerous awards there since. He also took the gold medal at the Prague International Exhibition, and was at the Brussels World Exposition. He is in the collection of the Tokyo National Museum, Kyoto Museum of Modern art and the Freer Gallery among others. In 1985 he was named a Juyo Mukei Bunkazai (col. Living National Treasure) for his work in Tetsu-yu iron glaze. But this did not stop him continuing to research into uncommon ground, and he strove, like an artist as opposed to a craftsman, to constantly innovate and evolve to the day he died.