Catalog (826)

A jaw-dropping igneous chawan tea bowl by Inayoshi Osamu like a shimmering mineral deposit found deep inside some calcitic limestone cavern. When I asked him about the effects on the surface, he said that he could not wholly explain them, they were some mystery of the kiln, caused during the firing. The bowl is 13.8 x 13 x 9.5 cm (5-1/2 x 5 x 4 inches) and in excellent condition. It comes enclosed in the original signed wooden box with shiori and shifuku, hand-picked from the artist this summer.
Inayoshi Osamu was born in Aichi prefecture, the heart of Mino country, in 1976. He completed his initial training in the plastic arts at the Seto Pottery School in 2002, garnering an award that same year at the 56th Seto City Art Exhibition. In 2007 he established his own kiln in Toyohashi, and was awarded at the 19th Heart of Oribe Pottery exhibition (again the following year). In 2008 he began to focus on the Atsumi pottery of the Heian and Kamakura periods, building up a unique repertoire. After several more domestic shows and prizes, he had his overseas debut in 2010, and has since received a great deal of attention both at home and abroad.

This past summer I had occasion to visit Richard Milgrim in his Mountain Studio and asked him to pair some sake cups and Tokkuri for us. It is a rare opportunity to have an artist personally select pieces which he feels work together. This set is making use of his signature Concord glaze (Konko-yu) from America, with clay from Japan, while the cup is also using a variant of that glaze Black Concord (Konko-guro). The Tokkuri is 9 cm (3-1/2 inches) diameter, 12 cm (5 inches) tall. The rim of the cup wavers between 6 and 6.5 cm diameter (roughly 2 inches) and both are new from the artist in perfect condition.
Richard Milgrim (b. 1955) of White Plains New York graduated Antioch College in 1979 following a year travelling in Japan and internship at the Fogg Museum of Harvard. That same year he began down a path, following a “way” as it is called in Japan, Sado or Chanoyu, the Japanese Tea Ceremony. That same year he returned to Japan, apprenticing initially under Iwabuchi Shigeya while studying at the Midorikai of Urasenke. His first solo exhibition was held in 1981, one of many, and he subsequently began to move about Japan, gobbling up styles under various masters such as Living National Treasure Fujiwara Yu, Kato Koemon and Tahara Tobei. He established his own kiln in Hiyoshi, North of Kyoto in 1984. He is probably the only foreign potter to be truly accepted into the brand conscious world of Japanese tea, and his shows frequently sell out early. From 2000 to 2014 he spit his time between Hiyoshi and a kiln he established in Concord Massachusetts, where he developed some innovative techniques and glazes now firmly a part of his repertoire in Japan. He is adept therefore with Shino, Oribe, Bizen, Seto, Karatsu and Yakishime styles. According to Richard “Since 1977 on my first arrival in Kyoto, I have been blessed with an unending flow of "deai" (encounters) that have almost been like stepping stones on the garden path, leading me into the innermost depths of the field of "Chatou" (tea ceramics).Undoubtedly the most significant "deai" was meeting Dr. Sen Genshitsu (the former 15th generation Grand Master of the Urasenke Tea Tradition), in 1979. With his guidance and endorsement over the years, including the naming of my 2 studios in both Japan-RICHADO-GAMA, and America- KONKO-GAMA, Dr. Sen has been the primary catalyst in the development of my career over the past 40 years.”

There is something deeply elegant and feminine about the work of the female Maki-e artist Arai Etsuko, clearly evident here in this glass sake set decorated with olives in colored lacquer and precious gold powder enclosed in a compartmentalized and signed wooden box. Inside, the simple black silhouette, outside, various shades of green connected by gold branches from which hang fruit in various stages of ripeness. The Tokkuri is 17 cm (6-3/4 inches) tall, the cups 5 cm (2 inches) diameter. All are in new condition, directly from the artist this year.
Arai Etsuko (born in Kanagawa in 1980) apprenticed under Hiroshi Okada after Graduating the Kyoto School of Traditional Arts in 2003. For seven years she learned the arts of maki-e and kanshitsu, nunobari and inlay, working both on new pieces, as well as in the restoration of antique items, giving her a deep understanding of the various processes of lacquer over the centuries. In 2010 she moved out on her own. Her work is characterized by the exquisite mixture of traditional lacquer ware manufacturing methods and the delicate and gentle style unique to a woman. Her work has been exhibited at various venues throughout Japan, including the Asahi Craft exhibition and Kyoten. She was designated a Traditional Craftsperson (Dento Kogeishi)of Kyoto in 2014, Nationally in 2015. In a recent conversation She said she was drawn to the world of Lacquer by its glitter and sheen. Unlike drawing or pottery, the creation of lacquer art has no immediate sense of gratification, the imagery is brought out through layers over weeks or months, often invisible until the final stages. A most demanding medium, patience and diligence are paramount, but the result is unlike any other artform, and with proper care, can be passed through the generations, an heirloom to span the centuries.

A Spectacular Bizen Tsubo dripping with ash glaze by Yukuyoshi Manabu enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Bizen Yohen Tsubo (Kiln altered). The rim is covered in built up black ash, which grows more liquid as it enters the burning embers on the side, and is blasted around in rivulets to the back where it has created two shadows of raw earth where another pot was in close proximity. It is 23 cm (9 inches) diameter, 21.5 cm (8-1/2 inches) 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.

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 set of ten sake cups by Takegoshi Jun depicting Umi-no-sachi (treasures of the sea) in aka-e and overglaze enamels enclosed in the original compartmentalized wooden box. Each cup is uniquely decorated with a delicacy in the raw, Shrimp, Red Snapper, blow fish et al. Each cup is 8 cm (roughly 3 inches) diameter and in excellent condition.
Takegoshi Jun (alternatively written Takekoshi) was born in Ishikawa prefecture, home to Kutani Yaki, the son of the third generation Takegoshi Taizan (1919-1984) in the early post-war era, 1948. He learned pottery techniques under his father, while training in Nihonga painting at the Kanazawa University of Fine Art, graduating in 1971. He then apprenticed under the Kutani monument Kitade Fujio, and began exhibiting with the Nitten National Exhibition. Since he has exhibited with many venues, garnering awards at the aforementioned Nitten, Shin Kogeiten New Crafts Fair, took top prize at the 38th Gendai Kogeiten (Modern Crafts Fair, and has been featured several times on Japanese Television. He received the Prestigious JCS award, on e of the highest honors for a Japanese potter, n 2007. Works by him are held in the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, The Minneapolis Institute of Art, Victoria & Albert Museum in London, the Newark Museum of Art, the Philadelphia Museum of Art and Yale University Art Gallery among others.

A flagrant barrage of color gets in your face with this futuristic vessel by Yanagihara Mutsuo enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Saimon Kabin (Colored Vase). Over the crackled sunshine yellow gleams platinum on lightning strikes of red, completely juxtaposed to the cool blue of the interior. Very much an iconic work by this eclectic artist. It is 17.5 cm (7 inches) diameter, 15 cm (6 inches) tall and in perfect 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.”

Grasses grow on the sides of this Tokkuri and accompanying Guinomi by Karatsu legend Maruta Munehiko, each piece enclosed in the original signed wooden box. The E-Karatsu Tokkuri is 11 cm (4-1/4 inches) tall. The E-Karatsu Guinomi is 7 cm (2-3/4 inches) diameter, 6 cm (2-1/2 inches) tall. Both are in excellent condition.
Maruta Munehiko was born the second son of Maruta Masami in Saga prefecture in 1961. However he apprenticed under Hamada Atsuya (1931-1986), the son of Mashiko Living National Treasure Hamada Shoji, in 1980. Specializing in Karatsu ware, he opened his first kiln in 1987, and a Noborigama climbing kiln in 2000. He has exhibited at any number of important galleries like and juried exhibitions including the National Traditional Crafts Exhibition (Nihin Dento Kogeiten) and his 25th anniversary exhibition at the prestigious Kuroda Toen. He is held in the collection o the Minneapolis Institute of Art among other important public and private collections.

A rock textured Kurinuki tokkuri compliments this guinomi selected to match by Inayoshi Osamu enclosed in the original signed wooden box. The Tokkuri is 5 inches (12 cm) tall, the Guinomi 2-3/4 inches (7 cm) diameter and both are in perfect condition, enclosed in the original wooden box from the artist this summer.
Inayoshi Osamu was born in Aichi prefecture, the heart of Mino country, in 1976. He completed his initial training in the plastic arts at the Seto Pottery School in 2002, garnering an award that same year at the 56th Seto City Art Exhibition. In 2007 he established his own kiln in Toyohashi, and was awarded at the 19th Heart of Oribe Pottery exhibition (again the following year). In 2008 he began to focus on the Atsumi pottery of the Heian and Kamakura periods, building up a unique repertoire. After several more domestic shows and prizes, he had his overseas debut in 2010, and has since received a great deal of attention both at home and abroad.

A swirling iron colored ceramic dish by Takatsu Mio enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Uzumaki no Sara. It is 20 x 18 x 8.5 cm (8 x 7 x 3-1/2 inches) tall and in excellent condition, from the artist this summer. We use one of these at home for cheese and cold cuts, looks great with a wine glass and garners a lot of attention!
Takatsu Mio (b. 1976) was raised in Gifu prefecture among the scattered kilns of Mino. She graduated the Osaka University of Arts Sculpture Department in 1999, moving on to advanced studies which she completed in 2001. Her first exhibited works were in 1999, and then again in Tokyo in 2001. The following year she exhibited with the 6th International Ceramics Exhibition in Mino with several private exhibitions over the following years in some of Japans top venues. In 2005 she made her overseas debut. In 2009 her work was featured in Women Ceramic Artists in the 21st Century (Paramita Museum/Mie Japan) 2011 saw her work accepted into the Faenza International Ceramics Exhibition in Italy, as well as the Nihon Togeiten National Ceramics Exhibition.

A quintessential work showing the decorative aesthetic of Ichino Masahiko enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Senmonki (Lined Vessel). The square opening, thin and delicate, reminds me of the architectural grace of Ando Tadao. This is exactly what he is known for, and if you were going to have just one piece by Ichino-san, this might be just the thing to suit the bill. It is 26 cm (10-1/4 inches) diameter and in excellent condition.
The youngest winner ever at the 13th National Ceramic Exhibition (Nihon Togeiten), Ichino Hiroyuki is a powerhouse in Tamba, bringing that long forgotten corner of Japan’s ceramic realm back into the limelight. He was born in Sasayama, heart of Tamba, in 1961, and studied in Kyoto under Imai Masayuki, and under his father Ichino Shinsui. He established his own kiln in 1988, and in 1995 caught the worlds attention with his work “Kai” at the 13th Nihon Togeiten. In 99 his work was selected for the Japanese Ceramic Exhibition Tour sponsored by the Japan Foundation, and that was the first of many overseas exhibits featuring his work. In 2006 he received the JCS award (Japan Ceramic Society prize), one of the most coveted in Japan, and in 2009 received the grand prize at the Tanabe Museum Modern forms in Tea Exhibition. He is held in the collection of the V&A, New Orleans Museum of Art, Brooklyn Museum, Tanabe Museum and Japan Foundation among many others.

My Australian friend nailed it when he looked at this Tsujimura Shiro tsubo and emphatically declared: Bro that is crusty as….
Shiro is known for his lopsided forms and ash encrustation, and this vessel does not disappoint. It is 18 cm (7 inches) diameter, roughly the same height and in excellent condition, enclosed in the original signed wooden box.
Tsujimura Shiro was born in Nara in 1947, and began his steps into the art world as an oil painter in 1965. While living at a Buddhist temple he experienced a profound connection with a Korean Tea Bowl, and began potting. He established his kiln and residence in 1970, with his first solo exhibition held in 1977. By the 1990s he had become an international star, with works exhibited in the US, UK, Germany, France and many other nations. He is highly acclaimed and somewhat reclusive, avoiding the public spectacles often needed to make one in Japan. A must have in any contemporary collection of Japanese ceramic art, work by him is held in museums throughout the globe, including The Metropolitan Museum of Art New York, The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, The Cleveland Museum of Art, The Minneapolis Institute of Arts, The Brooklyn Museum of Art, The Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery at Smithsonian Institution, The Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, The Spencer Museum, Ackland Art Museum, The Art Institute of Chicago, The British Museum, Stockholm Museum of Art and the Miho Museum among many others

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.

The purity and perfection of this takes your breath away. It is a gorgeous piece by Hattori Tatsuya and comes enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Ginsai Wan. The bowl is 12 x 13.5 x 8 cm (4-1/2 x 5-1/4 x 3 inches) and is in perfect condition, from the artist late 2020. He is a master of silver/platinum/titanium glazes, and his forms, especially his tea pots, are very popular and generally sell out quickly.
Hattori Tatsuya was born in Tajimi, home of Shino and Oribe wares, in 1978 and was raised in the vibrant pottery scene of that region. However, he had no interest in pottery until after graduating with a degree in business from university. Taking a hiatus from studies and work, he stumbled onto the path of the potter by accident (or was it fate). He entered the Tajimi Ceramics Research Facility, graduating in 2004. His work was selected for display at the Mashiko Ceramic Art Exhibition and Asahi Togeiten Ceramics Exhibition that year. He took a position as a ceramic designer at a local company, working nights and weekends on his own art and promoting himself in the off hours until he felt he could afford to devote himself completely to the wheel. At first he concentrated on making decorative works, but soon began moving steadily toward functional vessels, enjoying the dialog between the work and the user.

Fujiuchi Saeko enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Usuhanada Kanyu Chawan. Usuhanada is a traditional Japanese color in the blue tone. Kanyu is glaze crackling. This bowl is 13.5 x 14.5 x 7.5 cm (5-1/4 x 5-3/4 x 3 inches) and is in excellent condition, from the artist late 2020.
Fujiuchi Saeko wsa born in Shiga prefecture (home of Shigaraki) in 1983 but chose to study in the Okayama Prefectureal University (Okayama being the home of Bizen) graduating in 2006. She went on to advanced studies at the Tajimi Isshoken Ceramics Research Facility (Home of Shino and Oribe wares), graduating there in 2012. This has given her exposure to a smorgasbord of various traditional styles and influences. She was awarded last year at the Arita International Ceramics Festival.

A wild work by young pottery sensation Matsumura Jun enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Necrosis TBF. It is 23 x 14.5 x 8 cm (9 x 5-1/2 x 3 inches) and is in excellent condition, from the artist late 2020. Matsumura Jun was born in Chiba Prefecture on the outskirts of Tokyo in 1986. He graduated from the University of South Alabama in 2010, and graduated the Tajimi Municipal Ceramics Research Facility in 2015, then went on to the Utatsuyama Research Facility in Kanazawa, leaving there in 2018. His transcendent, innovative forms have set the heart of the ceramic world racing and he has been awarded at the exhibition Tradition and Innovation-Japanese Ceramics Now as well as the 3rd Triennale of KOGEI in Kanazawa and have been presented at TEFAF in Maastricht, Art Fair Tokyo in 2018, Art Collect in London and Art Kyoto in 2019.

Lantern Flowers (Hozuki) decorate this snow white porcelain vase by Yamada Yoshiaki enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Henko. The imagery is expertly depicted over a form which has been allowed some freedom, more like the natural shape of a stone than a traditional vase. This is very much representative of this artists style, known for these asymmetrical shapes, natural corners and exquisite palette. It is 31 x 5 x 17.5 cm (12 x 2 x 7 inches) and is in excellent condition.
Yamada Yoshiaki was born in Ishikawa, home of Kutani wares, in 1948. He studied under Yamachika Tsuyoshi and Takegoshi Taizan whose influence is apparent. He began exhibiting in 1975 with the Souzou Bijutsu-kai Art Organization. Since his works have been exhibited and awarded in a plethora of venues, public exhibitions and private galleries. His work has been collected by the Imperial household and given as gifts to foreign dignitaries.

A swollen sail shape in graduations of color by Miyashita Zenji enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Kaze no Deban (Cue the Wind, or Wind in the Sails, if you like). It is 20 x 21 x 28 cm (8x 8-1/2 x 11 inches) and in excellent condition. It retains the original Shifuku and Shiori.
Miyashita Zenji (1939-2012) was born into the family of potter Miyashita Zenju, and graduated the Kyoto Municipal University of Art under Kiyomizu Kyubei and Kusube Yaichi. Starting with the most difficult, he worked from Celadon, which relies on shape and extreme control of firing. He began exhibiting in the annual Nitten exhibitions in 1964, eventually winning eighteen prizes. According to the Sackler, which holds 6 works by him, “ His mature work was a modern embodiment of a classic Kyoto mode associated with the Heian period (794–1185). He applied delicate layers of color—reminiscent of multilayered court robes or decorated papers made for inscribing poetry—using not over-glaze enamels or glazes but clay itself, dyed with mineral pigments”. He is held in the aforementioned Freer-Sackler, the British Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art New York, and the Brooklyn Museum the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, the Museum of Fine Arts Houston and of course the National Museums of Modern Art both in Kyoto and Tokyo among a host of others.

The most unique work I have ever seen from innovative artist Ito Motohiko enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Nunome Tsubaki-mon Kabin (Cloth Textured Vase with Camellia Design). Sensual sans eroticism, it is a frank and appreciative look at the beauty of the feminine form. This is from my personal collection, and I am torn with the idea of parting with it. The vase is 9 x 6-1/2 x 14-1/2 inches (23 x 16.5 x 37 cm) and is in excellent condition, retaining the original wrapping cloth and Shiori.
Ito Motohiko is a famous Kasama potter, best known for his nunome pattern and exceptional designs. Motohiko was born in Fukuoka prefecture, 1939, and graduated the Tokyo University of Art in 1964, then moved on to advanced courses there, finishing in 1966. While at University he studied under Kato Hajime and Fujimoto Yoshimichi. It was in 1967 his first piece was accepted into the 6th Modern National Crafts Exhibition, and the next year would be spent working under to-be-Living National Treasure Matsui Kosei. His list of prizes and exhibitions is much too long to reproduce, but since 1967, he has Exhibited with the Nihon Dento Kogeiten, Nihon Dento Kogei Shinsaku Ten, Dento Kogei Musashino Ten, Tanabe Museum Modern Tea Forms Exhibition, been the subject of an NHK Television documentary, and participated in a ridiculous number of private exhibits at many of Japans top venues, and has been purchased by the Heisei Emperor in person as well as receiving the Shijuho-sho prize from his majesty.

Gold drizzles down the rough textured sides of this steep Tsutsu-chawan tea bowl by Ichikawa Toru enclosed in the original signed wooden box. The gold shines brilliantly on the rough textured clay, alternating with patches of earthy orange and pale cream. It has the WOW! Factor in triplicate. Slightly oblong, it is roughly 11 cm (4-1/2 inches) diameter 9.5 cm (3-3/4 inches) tall and in excellent condition.
Ichikawa Toru was born in Tokyo in 1973. In 2015 he established his current studio in Bizen after 4 years of apprenticeship under another Bizen Outsider, Kakurezaki Ryuichi. He has since developed quite a following, with his shows selling out often within hours.

Silver ray-skin texture covers this fabulous Katakuchi sake pot by Ichikawa Toru enclosed in the original signed wooden box. OMG a chilled Daiginjo served with this would have to taste like a million bucks! Like a footed softball, it is 12 cm (4-3/4 inches) diameter, ever so slightly shorter although it appears to be taller than it is wide.
One of my favorite artists, the innovative Ichikawa Toru was born in Tokyo in 1973. In 2015 he established his current studio in Bizen after 4 years of apprenticeship under another Bizen Outsider, Kakurezaki Ryuichi. He has since developed quite a following, with his shows selling out often within hours.

Tarnished beaded silver is draped in gold over which runs a deep forest green on this apple shaped chawan by innovative artist Ichikawa Toru enclosed in the original signed wooden box. A thick gold tinged bead dangles from one side, and bubbly dark glaze pools within. It is 11.5 cm (4-1/2 inches9 diameter and in excellent condition. He really takes things to the extreme, challenging and yet incorporating something of the idea of Wabi into his outlandish works.
Ichikawa Toru was born in Tokyo in 1973. In 2015 he established his current studio in Bizen after 4 years of apprenticeship under another Bizen Outsider, Kakurezaki Ryuichi. He has since developed quite a following, with his shows selling out often within hours.

The organic shapes of Kakurezaki Ryuichi have always been fascinating, less formed by the potters hands and more as if they dripped from the kiln roof, solidifying in the conflagration. This vase, covered in flying ash, is a perfect example of that, it even now appears to be withering in the heat. It comes enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Yohen Kaki or kiln altered vase and retains the original shifuku and shiori. The vessel is 17 x 21 x 23 cm (7 x 8 x 9 inches) and is in excellent condition.
It is likely that Ryuichi needs no introduction, one of the most well known of Bizen potters, he is interestingly originally not from Bizen but far off Nagasaki, which seems to have gifted him with the ability to see the clays potential beyond conventional form. He graduated the Osaka University of Fine Arts, then enjoyed a long apprenticeship under Bizen Living National Treasure Isezaki Jun before opening his own kiln in 1986. Combining traditional technique with modern architectural form, He was recipient of the Japan Ceramics Society Award, Grand Prize at the Fifth Contemporary Tea Ceremony Utensils Exhibition, Tanabe Museum and has a list of public and private exhibitions which go beyond this brief add, including a showing in New York this year. His works are held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum of London, National Ceramic Museum of France and the Tanabe Museum among others.

Blue glaze fills in the embedded patterns in this Tokkuri by Living National Treasure Shimaoka Tatsuzo enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Gosu Zogan Jomon Tokkuri. The vibrant blue is a bit of a departure for this artist whose work is often sedate, relying on the texture and patterns of the Jomon rope design over dependence on colorful glazes. It is 15 cm (6 inches) tall and in excellent condition.
Shimaoka Tatsuzo (1919-2007) was born in Tokyo and enrolled in the Tokyo Kogei Daigaku Ceramics division in 1939. The following year he would meet Mashiko Mingei potter Hamada Shoji, and the course of his life was thought set, graduating in 1941. However he was drafted in 1942, and sent to Burma where he would remain until repatriation after the cessation of hostilities. In 1946 Tatsuzo apprenticed under Hamada who encouraged him to find his own voice, which he did when in 1950 took part in research into ancient Jomon potteries with Shirasaki Shunji, which would have a profound influence on his style. Working with Jomon rope patterns, Tatsuzo set out to create a style unique to himself, establishing his own kiln in 1954. Widely exhibited, awarded and influential in his lifetime, he received the Japan Ceramic Society Gold award in 1994, one of the highest honors for a Japanese ceramic artist, and was designated a Living National Treasure (Juyo Mukei Bunkazai or Ningenkokuho) in 1996 culminating with receiving the Order of the Rising Sun in 1999.

Two sake cups notched and torn from pure white porcelain by Kato Takahiro enclosed respectively in their original signed wooden boxes decorated with overlapping cubes titled Sake Cup. Each is roughly 6.5 cm (2-1/2 inches) tall, 5.5 cm (2-1/4 inches) square and both are in excellent condition, directly from the artist this year.
These are by the rising star Kato Hirotaka who was born in Tajimi, Gifu prefecture, home of Shino and Oribe in 1985. His work has been exhibited at the Takaoka Craft Competition, Itami International Craft Exhibition and Japan Ceramic Art Exhibition.

Fissured white is dribbled with blue and showing flashes of red in the cracks on this large, low Ofukei and Lacquer Guinomi, by Kodai Ujiie enclosed in the original signed wooden box. This is a handful, great tactile qualities and entrancing to look at. It is 8-8.5 cm diameter, 7 cm tall and in excellent condition, directly from his recent firing.
Kodai Ujiie was born in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture in 1990, and graduated advanced studies at the Tohoku University of Art and Design in 2015. Since 2014, he has been hosted at more than half a dozen solo exhibitions, proving the popularity of his work.

The inside of the cup is lined with smooth dark glaze which gleams gold along the rim, while the glistening white outside has been carved away, every divot and ridge a tactile pleasure. It comes enclosed in a wooden box titled Kanka (Quiet, as in: the silent elegance of a flower in bloom). This is a phrase coined by the Edo period Confucian scholar Dazai Shundai in his treatise on The Purple Grass Garden (Shishienko). It is 9 cm (3-1/2 inches) diameter and in excellent condition, from the artist this year. Itaya Narumi was born in Gifu in 1991, and graduated the Toki City Ceramics Research Facility in 2015. She has participated in several exhibitions since, with an emphasis on natural forms and tactile senses.

The best sake related piece I have ever seen by Koinuma Michio enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled very simply Tokkuri. The draping curves and weep of color is superb, and sets this above all others. Michio has long been inspired by archaic forms, and this is reminiscent of the roughly 5000-year-old Jomon Venus (a National Treasure) unearthed in Chino, Nagano prefecture. His coloration seems derived from ancient Sue-ki ware, and he goes to great lengths to erode the pots, allotting them an almost hallowed quality, as if they have been treasured for millennia. This Tokkuri is 14.5 m (5-3/4 inches) tall and in excellent condition.
Koinuma Michio is a compelling figure unique among contemporary artists. He seems to have no limit to his imagination and creativity, still dazzling us with new concepts after four decades. Born in the hectic war years in 1936, he is incredibly intelligent, graduating the economics department of Osaka University, then on to Waseda, one of the top three schools in Japan, for graduate studies in economics and politics. Relinquishing that life he opened a kiln in Mashiko in 1970. Since 1978 he has been consistently displayed at the best galleries in Japan, as well as overseas. For more see Contemporary Japanese Ceramics Fired with Passion (ISBN -10: 1-891640-38-0) or To volume 10, which is dedicated entirely to him.

A splendid antique cut glass cup selected and decorated by contemporary female lacquer artist Arai Etsuko enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Glass Maki-e Hai, Yoake (Glass Sake Cup named Breaking Dawn). She said that when she first saw the glass in a street market, she instantly envisioned how the engraved patterns could be accentuated by colors and powdered precious metals. Here an interesting comparison of techniques is possible. The bowl is decorated outside, first with layers of color, then powdered gold applied over top. The rim is covered in dark blue lacquer sprinkled with gold, with red and blue diamonds alternating with clear glass connected to the stem by strands of gold. The base on the other hand, has been decorated in the opposite order, with powdered gold first, then a red sunrise in the center overtop of which is applied the colored lacquer. Allowing the pattern to be visible through the glass, but not from the decorated underside. It is 10.5 cm (4 inches) tall and in excellent condition, directly from the artist this year.
Arai Etsuko (born in Kanagawa in 1980) apprenticed under Hiroshi Okada after Graduating the Kyoto School of Traditional Arts in 2003. For seven years she learned the arts of maki-e and kanshitsu, nunobari and inlay, working both on new pieces, as well as in the restoration of antique items, giving her a deep understanding of the various processes of lacquer over the centuries. In 2010 she moved out on her own. Her work is characterized by the exquisite mixture of traditional lacquer ware manufacturing methods and the delicate and gentle style unique to a woman. Her work has been exhibited at various venues throughout Japan, including the Asahi Craft exhibition and Kyoten. She was designated a Traditional Craftsperson (Dento Kogeishi) of Kyoto in 2014, Nationally in 2015. In a recent conversation she said she was drawn to the world of Lacquer by its glitter and sheen. Unlike drawing or pottery, the creation of lacquer art has no immediate sense of gratification, the imagery is brought out through layers over weeks or months, often invisible until the final stages. A most demanding medium, patience and diligence are paramount, but the result is unlike any other artform, and with proper care, can be passed through the generations, an heirloom to span the centuries.

A heavily encrusted glossy sake flask by Tanimoto Kei compliments a Guinomi displaying a rustic matte finish by his son Tanimoto Takeshi enclosed in the original signed wooden boxes titled Iga Tokkuri and Iga Guinomi respectively. Bīdoro glaze (a type of natural wood ash glaze formed by firing, named from vidro, the Portuguese word for glass) coalesces into a yellow crystal rivulet on one side of the Tokkuri, opposite is a shadow of gray ash. The Cup on the other hand, bears heavy scorch marks and a more prominent texture, perfect for handling, and yellow green glaze accentuates the various textures beneath. The Tokkuri is 14 cm (5-1/2 inches) tall, the guinomi 7 cm tall, roughly the same diameter. Both are in excellent condition.
Tanimoto Kei was born the son of Iga artist Tanimoto Kosei in 1948. In 1970 he apprenticed under Hineno Tatsuzo in Mino, and in his youth he experimented widely in many mediums, design, and even spent a few years in Paris learning the art of etching. He returned to Japan in 1977 to devote himself to the plastic arts.
Tanimoto Takashi was born in Mie the eldest son of Tanimoto Kei in 1978. After graduating the literature department of Doshisha university, he entered the Kyoto prefectural ceramic school, then apprenticed under Mori Tadashi. In 2004 he spent a year abroad in Italy, returning to Japan in 2006 to launch his solo career.

Five serene white concave disks set on unique bases by Kato Yoshiyasu enclosed in the original signed and compartmentalized wooden box titled Asobi Kodai Hai, Gokyaku Soroi (Playful Foot Five Sake Cup Set). Each cup is roughly 8 cm (3-1/4 inches) diameter, and all are in excellent condition, from the artist this year. This set was assembled by the artist specifically for our gallery, and is the only boxed set like it in the world.
Kato Yoshiyasu was born in Aichi prefecture in 1985, and graduated the Kurashiki Kogei Crafts School design department in 2008. He then went on to study at the Tajimi Ceramics Research Facility, finishing there in 2014. He moved to Nshio city in 2018, where he set up a studio and works today while raising a cute little baby with his wife.

A black Porcelain vessel from the Divergence series which the artist says “can be used to serve sake or tea” titled Kuro Jiki Tsugiguchi (Black porcelain pourer). It is 9 x 15 x 6 cm (3-1/2 x 6 x 2-1/2 inches) and is in excellent condition, from the artist late last year. Matsumura Jun was born in Chiba Prefecture on the outskirts of Tokyo in 1986. He graduated from the University of South Alabama in 2010, and graduated the Tajimi Municipal Ceramics Research Facility in 2015, then went on to the Utatsuyama Research Facility in Kanazawa, leaving there in 2018. His transcendent, innovative forms have set the heart of the ceramic world racing and he has been awarded at the exhibition Tradition and Innovation-Japanese Ceramics Now as well as the 3rd Triennale of KOGEI in Kanazawa and have been presented at TEFAF in Maastricht, Art Fair Tokyo in 2018, Art Collect in London and Art Kyoto in 2019.

A faceted gourd shape of twisting lobes in soft green celadon by Sodeisha legend Suzuki Osamu enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It is roughly 14 cm (5-1/2 inches) tall and in excellent condition.
Suzuki Osamu (1926-2001) was, along with Kumakura Junkichi, Hikaru Yamada and Yagi Kazuo, one of the founding members of Sodeisha. He studied pottery at the Daini Kogyo Gakko in Kyoto. In 1948 he helped to establish Sodeisha. He received the JCS award in 1959 (and was granted the rare gold award in 1983). In 1962 he was awarded at the Prague International Ceramics Expo, the first of many international awards. In 1987 he was granted the Order of Cultural Merit by Kyoto Prefecture, followed by the same award from Kyoto City in 1993 and 1994. He exhibited with Sodeisha, The National Ceramics Exhibition (Nihon Togeiten) among others. Works by him are in too many collections to note in this small add, including the Kyoto and Tokyo National Museums of Modern Art, Victoria Albert and New York Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art.

A beautiful Caribbean blue bottle by Karatsu Legend Inoue Toya enclosed in the original signed wooden box. The color is quite unusual in his oeuvre, as is the paddled sloping shape. It is 24 cm (9-1/2 inches) tall, 12.5 cm (5 inches) diameter at the base and is 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.

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.

Rivulets of ash dribble down the red earth sides of this vase by Nishiura Takeshi enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Echizen Henko. Positioning in the kiln, with one shoulder angled toward the flame, ensure the lip and one rounded corner are charred in that distinct ocher inidicative of the region. Elsewhere the ash is molten green. A great example of this lesser known ancient kiln site. The vessel is 18 x 13 x 17.5 cm (7-1/2 x 5 x 7-1/2 inches) and is in excellent condition.
Nishiura Takeshi was born in Fukui prefecture in 1941, and graduated the Law Depratment of the prestigious Tokyo University in 1965. A decade later, he did an about face and began to follow the path of the potter establishing his first kiln in Echizen in 1975. Later he created a traditional Ana-gama kiln in 1982, where he works with his wife Nakazawa Yoko. He has concentrated on private exhibition, and is one of the few contemporary potters (and my personal favorite) making waves in the world of Echizen.

A Tea Pot by Hattori Tatsuya enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Ginsai Pot alongside a small doodle of the tea pot itself. It is 15 x 11 x 10 cm (6 x 4-1/4 x 4 inches) and in excellent condition, from the artist this past winter. He is a master of silver glazes, and his forms, especially his tea pots, are very popular and generally sell out quickly, we are lucky to be able to offer one.
Hattori Tatsuya was born in Tajimi, home of Shino and Oribe wares, in 1978 and was raised in the vibrant pottery scene of that region. However, he had no interest in pottery until after graduating with a degree in business from university. Taking a hiatus from studies and work, he stumbled onto the path of the potter by accident (or was it fate). He entered the Tajimi Ceramics Research Facility, graduating in 2004. His work was selected fr display at the Mashiko Ceramic Art Exhibition and Asahi Togeiten Ceramics Exhibition that year. He took a position as a ceramic designer at a local company, working nights and weekends on his own art and promoting himself in the off hours until he felt he could afford to devote himself completely to the wheel. At first he concentrated on making decorative works, but soon began moving steadily toward functional vessels, enjoying the dialog between the work and the user.

A riot of spring flowers in minute detail covers this dainty tea cup by Kawada Satomi enclosed in the original wooden box titled Hanazukushi-wan, and signed Kutani Satomi. The cup is 7.5 cm (3 inches) diameter, 6.5 cm (2-1/2 inches) tall and is in excellent condition. There are two types of Kutani overglazes, one like watercolor, opaque and vivid, the other like translucent glass. During the Meiji period when massive western demand brought about a thriving export market, the former was popular. However, in the later 20th century and more recently artists have been drawn to the latter. Like her mentor Nakamura Toshito, Kawada Satomi picks up where the Meiji tradition left off, but with a much more modern sensibility. Her work is delicate, extravagant, and peppered with unusual tones of blue and lavender. She graduated the Nagoya Design Institute in 1998, working as an illustrator. She enrolled at the Ishikawa Prefectural Kutani Research Facility, graduating in 2005, and entered the Nihon Kogeikai and followed with an apprenticeship under Nakamura Toshito. She was designated a Traditional Craftsperson in 2017.

A set of five brightly colored tea cups by Kitagawa Kazuki enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Kasaneirome Chawan (Tea Bowl of Layered Colors). Each is 8 cm (3-1/2 inches) diameter, 6 cm (2-1/2 inches) tall and in excellent condition, directly from the artist this Spring. The artist creates each of these cups individually by pouring liquified porcelain into a mold, swirling it around, allowing it to dry slightly, then pouring it out and adding another layer of differing color. After removing it from the mold and drying, each piece is hand etched to reveal the various layers of color in vibrant beams like sunlight through a rainbow. There is something very joyful about these works.
Katagawa Kazuki was born in Kyoto in 1991, and graduated the design department of Seika University in 2014 before moving for advanced studies at the Tajimi Municipal Ceramics Research Facility where he graduated in 2016. He now lives and works in Tajimi, and has developed several lines of intriguing pottery.

A Mizusashi Water Jar for use in the Japanese Tea Ceremony by Otani Shiro enclosed in the original signed wooden box. The artist has chosen to rely solely on the flavor of the clay, truly barren earth colored only with shadow and light resulting from the flame and kiln position. This beautifully showcases the nature of the distinct Shiseki filled Shigaraki clay. Top an austere black lacquered wooden lid like a pool of dark shadow. It is 26 cm (10-1/2inches) diameter, 13.5 cm (6 inches) high and in excellent condition.
Otani Shiro was born in Shigaraki in 1936 and graduated the Prefectural School in the ceramics department in 1956, which he followed up with 4 years studying decorating techniques under Morioka Yutaro. He then moved to Kyoto where he studied at the Municipal Ceramics Research Facility, where he trained under Kiyomizu Kyubei, Shofu Eichi and Uchida Kunio before returning to Shigaraki to yet further his studies in design. He garnered his first award at the Shiga Prefectural Art Exhibition in 1962, as well as the Governor’s prize at the National Rodosha Bijutsu-Ten Exhibition. He took a position with an industrial kiln in Shigaraki in 1963, and began potting in his free time, exhibiting and being awarded at the Asahi Togeiten among others. In 1968, he left his position at the kiln, and in 1969 was first accepted into the National Traditional Crafts Exhibition (Nihon Dento Kogeiten). In 1973 he established his own kilns in Shigaraki, both an Anagama submerged kiln and a climbing kiln, and began learning from future Living National Treasure Shimizu Uichi. From there he participated in the Nihon Dento Kogei Ten (National crafts Exhibition) as well as innumerable private exhibitions both domestic and International, and was named an Intangible Cultural Asset of Shigaraki in 1990. His work is held in The Museum of Art in Atlanta, The Boston Museum of Fine Arts, the Brooklyn Museum of Art, the Fogg Art Gallery of Harvard as well as the Morikami Museum and Smithsonian among others.

A crusty black clay vase by Sakata Jinnai enclosed in the original signed wood box. Sculpted out into a crescent, it roughly forms a 24 cm (9-1/2 inch) diameter circle. 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).

Not to save the best for last, but this piece by Nagae Shigekazu is simply breathtaking. The pattern of light and dark squares which drives direct lines across the distended quadrilateral form hails images of the Ichimatsu-moyo pattern at the Katsura Rikyu imperial palace. The lyrical curves of the vessel itself are in sharp contrast to the extreme precision of the patterns, creating a unique dialog between viewer and viewed. It comes enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Chokutai (Straightforward). The vessel is quite large at 47 cm (18-1/2 inches) tall, 31.5 x 23 cm (12-1/2 x 9 inches) and in excellent condition.
Nagae Shigekazu (b. 1953) graduated the Seto Industrial School of Ceramics in 1974 Beginning to grab attention in the late 70s, he has striven to perfect porcelain casting techniques, creating one-off shapes and forms previously impossible. He is held in the collection of the V&A (London), LACMA (Los Angeles) and the National Gallery of Australia, Cincinnati and Cleveland Art Museums, Minneapolis Institute of Art, Japan Foundation and many many others. With very low output, this is a rare opportunity to join the worlds top museum collections by acquiring this artist. According to Ceramics Now Magazine: Nagae Shigekazu (born in 1953), is one of the leading pioneers of porcelain casting and firing techniques in Japan. Casting is commonly associated with the mass production of porcelain, yet Nagae valiantly transcends this stereotype, ultimately elevating this technique to the avant-garde. Casting alone cannot achieve the natural movements found within Nagae’s forms. His popularity and recognition as an artist have skyrocketed, with acquisitions by the V&A in London, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and the National Gallery of Australia in just the past 3 years. Also collected by leading institutions such as the Musée National de Ceramique-Sèvres in Paris and the Musée Ariana in Geneva, among others, as well as receiving prestigious awards such as the Grand Prixs at the 1998 Triennale de la Porcelain in Nyon, the Mino Ceramic Festival and the Japan Ceramic Art Exhibition (both 1997), Nagae’s stature and respect in the world of porcelain has reached new heights.

A stylish celadon funnel for filling Tokkuri or making cocktails by Yagi Akira enclosed in the original compartmentalized signed wooden box titled Seihakuji Roto (Celadon Funnel). It comes with the original artist made notched wood stand. Functional of course, it also makes for a beautiful object on the stand. It is 19 cm long (7-1/2 inches), 12.7 cm (5 inches) diameter and 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 Museum 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.

A blue whirlpool spirals in the bowl of this perfectly formed celadon cup by Yagi Akira enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It is 2-3/4 inches (7 cm) diameter and 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 Museum 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.

Large Leafed Vines are silhouetted against age darkened silver on this striking covered basin by Banura Shiro enclosed in the original signed wooden box. A segment of vine serves as a handle on the lid and it appears to float above the table on three ribbon feet. It is 25 cm (10 inches) diameter, 15 cm (6 inches) 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.

Wow I need that! is all I could say the first time I saw this piece by Furutani Taketoshi while visiting the Churokuen Kiln early this year. The tendrils of natural ash glaze wrap around the simplified form like the roots of some ancient Shinboku (God Tree). It is unpretentious, but stands out clearly as a masterpiece by this very talented young potter. It comes enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Shigaraki Shizen Yu Yohen Hanaire (Shigaraki Natural Ash Glazed Kiln Altered Vase). The vessel is 16 cm (6-1/4 inches) diameter, 25.5 cm (10 inches) tall and in excellent condition.
Furutani Taketoshi was born the son of master craftsman Furutani Hirofumi in 1974, graduating the Shigaraki Industrial High School Ceramics department in 1992 before entering the Shiga prefectural Ceramics Research Facility studying wheel technique, graduating the following year. He then did a year apprenticeship at a pottery before re-entering for a second course at the Research Facility, graduating in 1995. From that year he returned to the family kiln, receiving the family tradition from both his grandfather Furutani Churoku and father Furutani Hirofumi. Subverting the self, he makes simple, organic pots which have a timeless quality, very much rooted in the now, but paying homage to the traditions past down through the ages. He was named a Designated Traditional Craftsman (Dento Kogeishi) in 2013. He has exhibited with the Nihon Dento Kogeiten among others, and still works closely with his father at the family kiln.

An Amazing Shigaraki flattened form with offset neck covered in pools of liquid green crystal and dark encrustations of ash by Furutani Hirofumi, head of the Churoku-en. This piece truly shows the best of what Shigaraki has to offer, in the exposed raw terracotta clay, the molten ash glaze, the Hi-iro color of flame, and the build up of dark ash deposits. Every viewing angle is unique. This flattened form has been made by separating two slabs with a band of clay which has had feet and a wheel thrown neck added. Unlike others who have made similar shapes, Hirofumi offsets the neck in a refreshing way. The vessel is quite large at 36 x 13 x 41 cm tall (14 x 5 x 16 inches tall) and is in excellent condition, directly from the artist. It comes with a wooden placard signed by the artist and titled Shigaraki Shizen Yu Henko.
If you have never visited Shigaraki put it on the list. Downtown is pretty much Showa-Retro (a leftover from the Showa era) with rusting buildings stacked up with giant Tanuki sculptures and stacks of industrial grade ceramics. However, tucked in the middle is a small wood framed gallery, a real gem called the Churoku-en. The Churoku-en pottery was established by Furutani Churoku, and is now run by the second and third generation potters Furutani Hirofumi and his son Taketoshi. But they are rarely there, more often than not working at the family kiln which is out of the main business district. You will meet Hirofumis wife, a cherubic woman who will seem perhaps startled to see you but more than happy to show you around. The first time we met she seemed shocked to see visitors and I asked about that. She said: Most people do not come into our gallery.
I asked: Why is that?
She replied: There are no Tanukis out front, so it looks expensive!
We laughed about that and I remember it every time we meet. Her husband Hirofumi is the real deal, a Shigaraki potter trained under his father, recipient of generations of tradition and knowledge, who does not say much. Everyday you will find him in search of the natural phenomena which are born from his wood fired Anagama and Climbing kilns in the dialog between soil and flame and the elements. He does not compete or seek fame, just quietly makes pots in that very Japanese way, the path of the Unknown Craftsman.

A breathtaking work by Hashimoto Tomonari, deep space covered in random clouds and explosions of color like some precious treasure, the origin of life, from another world. It is roughly 24 cm (9-1/2 inches) diameter, 34 cm (14 inches) tall and weighs 4.2 kilograms and comes enclosed in a signed wooden box from the artist this year.
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 already making international waves around Asia. He is held in the collection of the V&A London, Los Angeles County Museum and Kalamazoo Institute of Arts among others.

A fabulous stone textured Guinomi by Inayoshi Osamu enclosed in the original signed wooden box featuring dark raw clay alternating with black and white glaze. Osamu is very low production, and very selective of what he allows out into the world, and I am proud to be able to offer this. It is 7.5 cm (3 inches) diameter, 5.5 cm (2 inches) tall and in excellent condition.
Inayoshi Osamu was born in Aichi prefecture in 1976, the heart of Mino country. He completed his initial training in the plastic arts at the Seto Pottery School in 2002, garnering an award that same year at the 56th Seto City Art Exhibition. In 2007 he established his own kiln in Toyohashi, and was awarded at the 19th Heart of Oribe Pottery exhibition (again the following year). In 2008 he began to focus on the Atsumi pottery of the Heian and Kamakura periods, building up a unique repertoire. After several more domestic shows and prizes, he had his overseas debut in 2010, and has since received a great deal of attention both at home and abroad. He has just moved into a new kiln and workshop this summer, and I am looking forward to what will come out of there this autumn.

This young guy’s stuff is very chic; a sake set by Kato Yoshiyasu in purest white and darkest black, everything a dialog between shadow and form. Here the artist has used a combination of his repertoire. The cup is pure white dipped into black, the black then chiseled away in divots creating a beautiful pattern for the eyes and texture for fingers. The Ozabu (Pillow shaped Daiza saucer) is a flattened ball, dimpled to receive the cup, then pierced with various sized holes. Alongside standing sentry the bent silhouette of the Tokkuri, a dark belt between pierced white: an eggshell coming apart. The cup is petite, perfect for a summer sipping reishu cold sake, the rim folded in to trap the delicate aroma. The UFO shaped Daiza (saucer) is 9 cm (3-1/2 inches) diameter and the Tokkuri is 16.5 cm (6-1/2 inches) tall. All are in excellent condition, enclosed in their respective signed boxes, directly from the artist this summer.
Kato Yoshiyasu was born in Aichi prefecture in 1985, and graduated the Kurashiki Kogei Crafts School design department in 2008. He then went on to study at the Tajimi Ceramics Research Facility, finishing there in 2014. He moved to Nshio city in 2018, where he set up a studio and works today while raising a cute little baby with his wife.

The colors of the prism show through the thick crackled glaze blanketing this Guinomi, by Kodai Ujiie enclosed in the original signed wooden box. This is a handful, great tactile qualities and entrancing to look at. It is 9-10 cm diameter, 9 cm tall and in excellent condition, directly from a recent firing.
Kodai Ujiie was born in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture in 1990, and graduated advanced studies at the Tohoku University of Art and Design in 2015. Since 2014, he has been hosted at more than half a dozen solo exhibitions, proving the popularity of his work.

A Beautiful bowl in crackled white set into a lattice like structure of raw porcelain pierced with a plethora of various sized holes by Kato Yoshiyasu enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Haku-yu no wan (White Glazed Bowl). A singular drip of fissured glass forms a bead from the bulging line between the thick glaze and raw clay where the two parts of the bowl have been joined. It is 12.5 cm (5 inches) diameter, 10 cm (4 inches) tall and in excellent condition, from the artist this year.
Kato Yoshiyasu was born in Aichi prefecture in 1985, and graduated the Kurashiki Kogei Crafts School design department in 2008. He then went on to study at the Tajimi Ceramics Research Facility, finishing there in 2014. He moved to Nshio city in 2018, where he set up a studio and works today while raising a cute little baby with his wife.

Reminiscent of the Rolling Stones album cover, a wild sculpture by important contemporary sculptor Hayami Shiro. The bean shaped object is 15 cm (6 inches) diameter, 32 cm (12-1/2 inches) long and in excellent condition. It is signed on the base and appears to be dated 1999. Typical of this artist, it comes in a cardboard box
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; both domestic and international. He is 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.

Thick iron and feldspar cover the Iga glaze of this small vase by Ayukai Kogetsu enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Oni Iga Ko Tsubo. It is 13 cm (5 inches) tall, roughly 9 cm (3-3/4 inches) diameter and in excellent condition. I think it would also make a nice tokkuri.
Ayukai Kogetsu is a female artist from Miyagi prefecture. During a trip to Nara after graduating university, she was struck by a calligraphy exhibition, and became a student of calligraphy under Onodera Hosen in Kessennuma. From 1969-1979 she exhibited calligraphy in a number of venues including the Shodo Geijutsu Inten, and received a number of awards. In 1979 she became a student and follower of the ceramic artist of Oni Shino fame Tsukigata Nahiko, who was also known for his painting and sculpture, all of which she absorbed over a ten year apprenticeship. She opened her own kiln in Gifu prefecture in 1992. She currently takes part in calligraphy and ceramic exhibitions throughout Japan.

A white porcelain bowl with silver lining by the young female artist Itaya Narumi enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Chawan (flower). Stylized floral motifs are raised off the raw white porcelain surface, richly textured, while the inside is sheer as gilded silk. About the delicate foot ring is glazed and sculpted with petals. The bowl is 12 cm (4-3/4 inches) diameter and in excellent condition, from the artist this year.
Itaya Narumi was born in Gifu in 1991. She graduated the Kanazawa University of Art in 2013 then graduated the Tajimi city Ceramics Research Facility in 2015. She has participated in several exhibitions since, with an emphasis on natural forms and tactile senses.

A striking design of swirling dots decorates this wide low chawan by female porcelain legend Ono Hakuko enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Yuri Haku-kin Sai Hira Chawan (White Gold Decorated Wide Tea Bowl). Blue and Green Dots swirl in a vortex from the center of the bowl. It is 16.2 cm (6-3/8 inches) diameter, 4.7 cm (2-7/8 inches) tall and in excellent condition retaining the original shiori.
From Aichi prefecture, Hakuko was trained by her father initially in the ceramic arts. However she was most strongly influenced by the great experimentive artist Kato Hajime (1901-1968) and his work with gold. This affected her own style deeply, and it can be said that she carried on his research. She was awarded the JCS award in 1980, one of Japans most prestigious ceramics awards. In 1992 she was named an important cultural asset (Juyo mukei bunkazai) of Saga prefecture. Bucking the traditional image here is another of Japans great cultural assets who fought against a system of prejudice to rise to the top and it is an honor to be able to offer something by her. For more on this important modern artist see Touch Fire, contemporary Japanese Ceramics by Women Artists (2009)

An organic form by young female artist Tanaka Tomomi enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Mimi-nari and dating from 2017. It is 6 x 6 x 5-1/2 inches (15 x 15 x 14 cm) and is in excellent condition.
Tanaka Tomomi was born in Hyogo prefecture, near Kobe, in 1983, and graduated advanced courses at the Aichi University of Education in 2008, however her work has been garnering attention in various exhibitions since 2005. She has received the Kyoto Mayor’s Award at the “39th Women’s Association of Ceramic Art” in 2005, and been prized at the 2006 and 2007 Asahi Togeiten Ceramic Art Exhibition. In 2014 she was given Silver at the 10th International Ceramics Competition Mino. Highly sought after, her work is held in the Ibaraki Ceramic Art Museum.

Product of the pure spirit of Shigaraki tradition and the pure winds of the inferno and impurities of the clay is this fabulous chawan tea bowl by the inspiring Furutani Kazuya enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Shigaraki Chawan. It has a rugged complexion with raw sunburnt clay dappled with spattered ash and a wide, solid, base. Enjoy the weight of it in your hands, then turn it over and marvel at the glistening jade gem clinging to the bottom. It is 12 cm (5 inches) diameter 8 cm (3 inches) tall and in excellent condition, directly from the artist.
Furutani Kazuya was born the son of Anagama legend Furutani Michio in 1976. He graduated the Yamaguchi College of Art in 1997, and spent a year at the ceramics research facility in Kyoto before returning to work under his father in Shigaraki. His Father’s sudden death in 2000 pushed Kazuya to the fore, and left him with big shoes to fill. That he has done! Building three Anagama in the following decade and displaying with the National Ceramics Exhibition and a number of private affairs in some of Japan’s top venues. He was just preparing for a solo exhibit at the prestigious Kuroda Toen Gallery when we met him late in the autumn.

A stratified bloc of hollowed out Shigaraki clay by female pottery pioneer Koyama Kiyoko enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Shigaraki Shizen Yu Kaku Hanaire. A thick coating of blown natural ash glaze has settled on the shoulders, while the layers of earth below show a dusting of color on top, but rich red in the shadows with plenty of small inclusions for the eye to play with. It is 22.5 cm (9 inches) tall, roughly 10 cm (4 inches) square and in excellent condition.
Koyama Kiyoko was the subject of the film Hi-Bi (2005) and the recent NHK television drama Scarlet. She is the preeminent pioneering female wood firing artist in Japan. Born in Sasebo, Nagasaki in 1938, she went to Shigaraki village, home of one of Japan’s Six Ancient Kilns. There she studied the traditional techniques, and bore the brunt of centuries of discrimination against women. Through it all she persevered to become one of the most highly sought of Shigaraki potters. For more on her works see Modern Japanese Ceramics in American Collections, Japan Society New York, 1993

A very elegant swirling bowl inflated like a balloon in dark lapis with applied silver basin by rising female star Takemura Yuri enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Sora Fune (Air Ship). It is 13.5 cm (just less than 6 inches) diameter, from 4.5 to 7.5 cm (2-3 inches) tall at the high end and in excellent condition, dating circa 2017.
Takemura Yuri was born in Nagoya, Aichi prefecture in 1980, daughter of a graphic designer. She came to ceramics after first working with oil paints. Frustrated at the two dimensional limitations of the canvas, the free form of pottery was a perfect medium to express her sense of design. She graduated the ceramics department of the Aichi Prefectural University of Fine Art in 2004, then was accepted as an artist in residence at the Shiga Prefectural Togei no Mori Ceramics Research Facility, where she stayed until 2006. Again, she moved to the Udatsuyama Ceramic center in Kanazawa city until 2009, and remains in that area today. She has been awarded at the National Crafts Exhibition, the Kikuchi Bienale, the Kanazawa Crafts Exhibition and the International Mino Exhibition (Kokusai Tojikiten Mino). Work by her is held in the Aichi Prefectural Ceramics Museum, The Kanazawa 21st Century Museum, as well as the Portland Art Museum among others.