Catalog (1099)

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.

Crackled green glass pools in the center of this humble tea bowl by Ezaki Issei enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled simply Chawan. The works of Issei personify the humble virtues of the tea ceremony. They are imbued with a sense of Musakui (Lack of intention), a bowl that has come to be, rather than a bowl that was created. It is 15.5 cm (6 inches) diameter, 5.5 cm (2-1/4 inches) tall and in excellent condition.
Ezaki Issei (also Esaki, 1918-1992) was born in Tokoname, but came to the road of the potter later in life, establishing himself as an artist in 1956. It was he who set the pattern for the research and revival of medieval techniques. His work was exhibited and awarded at the National Art Exhibition (Nitten), National Traditional Crafts Exhibition (Nihon Dento Kogeiten), Asahi Crafts Fair (Asahi Kogeiten) and the Modern Japanese Ceramics Exhibition (Gendai Nihon Togeiten) among others. He taught both Osako Mikio and Takeuchi Kimiaki, making him likely the most influential 20th century Tokoname artist. After ten years battling sickness and on the slate to be named a living national treasure, he succumbed to illness at the age of 74. Several works by him is held in both the National Museums of Modern Art in Tokyo and Kyoto.

Fresh out of the oven, here is a delicious treat to start the new year right, a crusty dancing form by Murakoshi Takuma enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Shigaraki Mimitsuki Hana-ire. Not only does the vase itself feel alive with movement, but the encrustations of ash and glossy molten ash glaze seem to be still in formation, as if it is still settling in the kiln. It is 26 cm (10 inches) tall and in perfect condition.
Murakoshi Takuma is one of those enigmas who simply lives to work with clay. He does not seek to make a living through pottery, but through his primal approach has earned a following which keeps his work in high demand. He was born in Aichi prefecture in 1954 and began his stroll down the pottery path in 1980 under the tutelage of Kyoto potter Umehara Takehira. Favoring very rough Shigaraki glaze, he established his own kiln in 1997 in the Kiyomizu pottery district of Kyoto, then moved to Nagaoka in 2002. Although eschewing the world of competitive exhibitions, he has been picked up by many of Japan’s preeminent galleries, including private exhibitions at the prestigious Kuroda Toen of Tokyo’s Ginza District.

A stunning and unusual Chawan tea bowl in burnt orange glaze with abstract splashes of black by Kawamoto GOro enclosed in the original signed wooden box. Perfectly formed, with a wide base and slightly concave sides leading to a pouty rim, all draped in this haunting ochre with poured black graffiti. A masterpiece by this important artist. It is 11.5 cm (4-1/2 inches) diameter, 8 cm (3-1/4 inches) tall and in excellent condition.
Kawamoto Goro (1919-1986) was born in Seto to a family of potters. He studied in Kyoto at the same institution as Kawai Kanjiro and Hamada Shoji. Returning to work at the family kiln, he was later adopted by Kawamoto Rekitei, a famous decorator of pottery. In 1953 he gained first recognition, accepted into the Nitten National Exhibition and garnering top prize at the Asahi Modern Ceramics Exhibition. In 1958 he would be awarded in Brussels, and in 1959 in California and at home was granted the 1959 JCS award winner. Much lauded the list is much too long for this article. work by him is held in the Kyoto National Museum of Modern Art as well as the The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo among many others.

Red oxidation swirls among the crinkled white covering the sandy clay of this tea bowl by Hori Ichiro enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It is 11 cm (4-1/2 inches ) diameter 9.5 cm (3-3/4 inches) tall and in excellent condition.
Hori Ichiro (b. 1952) graduated the Tajimi School of Industrial Design and apprenticed under Kato Kozo. He has been awarded the Governors prize at the Asahi Ceramics Exhibtion, and has been displayed at the Chunichi Kokusai Togei Ten as well as Nihon Dento Kogei Ten. He says, “I believe in making pottery which is born of nature…”

A lovely small koro decorated with Chinese Bell Flowers by Kiyomizu Rokubei VI enclosed in a signed wooden box titled Kikyo Koro. Inside the box appears to be written Seimei Gama Yakisei (fired in the Seimei kiln) signed Rokubei. It is 10.5 cm (4 inches) tall and in excellent condition. A quintessential piece by Rokubei VI.
The Kiyomizu family potters managed one of the most productive workshops in Kyoto’s Gojozaka district throughout the second half of the Edo period. From the Meiji they began producing tableware for export and special pieces for government-sponsored exhibitions under Rokubei IV. Rokubei V led the kiln into the 20th century, and his son, Rokubei VI (1901-1980), would assume lead in 1945, taking the kiln through the tumultuous years after the Second World War. He graduated the Kyoto Municipal School of Arts and Crafts, then the Kyoto Special School of Painting, before apprenticing under his father in 1925. He exhibited frequently and was often prized at the National Bunten, Teiten and Nitten Exhibits, where he later served as judge. He was also lauded abroad, in the USSR, France, Italy, Belgium and was appointed a member of the Japan Art Academy. In 1976 he was awarded the Order of Cultural Merit for his lifelong devotion to promoting Japanese pottery traditions. His works are held in numerous museums throughout the globe.

A covered container made as an incense burner by Koyama Kiyoko slabbed and cored from Shigaraki clay and covered in glassy green motlen ash enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It is 13.5 cm (5-1/2 inches) diameter, roughly the same height and in excellent condition.
Koyama Kiyoko was born in Sasebo, Nagasaki in 1936. Following the second world war the family moved to Shiga prefecture, eventually settling in the pottery village of Shigaraki. She took a job as a ceramic painter's assistant at a young age. In 1954 she began to work as a pottery decorator in Shigaraki under Nakashima Takamitsu. Later she moved to Kyoto to study Kenzan ware and Sometsuke under Yoshitake Eijiro. Aged 27 she began working in earnest in clay and studying clay technique under Misawa Kenzo. Enthralled by an ancient pot shard with natural blue ash glaze, she sought to recreate this effect in modern times, building her own kiln and repeatedly firing, searching for that magic point, but slowly pushing the family toward insolvency. Not only was she attempting to break barriers with the pots she created, but she was forced to break barriers in a male dominated world where women were prohibited from the wood fired kiln as unworthy. She did have her supporters of course, and with their help and persistence and ever longer firings she eventually succeeded in finding that blue. Kiyoko has a list of shows and prizes which would fill pages, including the Nihon Dento Kogei Ten Traditional Crafts Exhibition, Nihon Togei Ten Ceramic Exhibition, the Asahi Togei Ten Ceramics Exhibition as well as many international exhibitions. Her son Koyama Kenichi (1961-1992) worked to take over the family kiln, but succumbed to Leukemia after a long fight. Their story is 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, 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

I find this piece captivating, the golden thorns rupturing the rough and blank matte white clay. When I asked the artist about his concept, he explained the clay body is the individual formed by self-image, societal pressure, ego, all the things which constrict our actions and channel our emotions. The thorns are the true inner self bursting out of the surface, irrepressible, they pierce the shell and shine like the sun. Though the visible surface may be flat, rough-hewn, colorful, torn, matte, dark, muddled, the inner self is always golden. In this case, the inner form of glazed clay is covered in pallet-loads of matte raw porcelain, and with the different cooling temperatures, that has cracked and fissured, accentuating the golden thorns rupturing through the surface. It is 14 cm tall (6 inches) and in new condition, directly from the artist this spring enclosed in the original signed wooden box.
Masatomo Toi was born in Aichi Prefecture in 1992, and graduated the Design course at the Tajimi Ceramics Research Facility in 2019. Since he has been developing his series “Thorny” while preparing for a year in Australia (which has been put on hold like all of our lives due to the virus).

A large primitive robotic form by Morino Taimei in his iconic blue and gold dating from his experimental days in the early 1970 enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Soji Shiho Kabin. It is 12 inches (30 cm) tall, 6 inches (15 cm) square and in excellent condition.
Taimei was born in Kyoto in 1934, and was first accepted into the Nitten National Exhibition at a relatively young age in 1957 (a year before graduating the Kyoto Municipal University of Fine Art!). In 1960 he received the prestigious Hokutosho prize at the same National Exhibition. In the early 60s he worked as a guest professor at the University of Chicago. Upon his return to Japan his career began to lift off with a second Hokutosho Prize at the Nitten, followed by The governors prize and others at the Gendai Kogei Ten (Modern National Crafts Exhibition). He was subsequently selected for display at the Kyoto and Tokyo National Museums in 1972 and was accepted into the first Nihon Togei Ten that same year. Since his list of exhibitions and prizes has continued to grow, with subsequent selections in the Tokyo and Kyoto museums of Art, as well as exhibitions in Paris, Italy, America, Canada, Denmark and others. In 2007 he received the Japan Art Academy Prize, an award to a work of art similar in weight to the bestowing of Living National Treasure to an artist. This puts the artist in a small club, rare and important. For more information on the artist see Contemporary Japanese Ceramics, Fired with Passion by (Lurie/Chan, 2006) or the recent exhibition of works titled Generosity in Clay from the Natalie Fitzgerald Collection.

A pottery box decorated in over-glaze enamels and precious metals by Kato Reikichi enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Sengiri Jikiro.　It is a colorful and playful work a pleasure to look upon. It is 9-1/2 x 5-1/2 x 8 inches (24 x 14 x 20 cm) and is in excellent condition.
Kato Reikichi was born in 1953 the 22nd generation of an unbroken line of potters spanning back to the Keicho era in the Momoyama period. He graduated the art department of Tamagawa University and has since worked to expand his traditional repertoire with an emphasis on sculpture and experimentive glaze research. He has been exhibited and awarded at the Nitten on numerous occasions. He received several awards over the years at the Chunichi Kokusai Togeiten International Ceramic Exhibition, as well as the Asahi Togeiten, Nihon Shin Kogeiten National New Crafts Exhibition, and the Niko-kai Exhibition among many others. His work is held by the Seto City Museum, The Furukawa Museum The Nitten Kaikan and the Aichi Prefectural Ceramics Museum among others.

A beautiful example of Oni Shino by world famous Tsukigata Nahiko enclosed in a wooden box signed by his student Ayukai Kogetsu. Wild glazing and a shinshoku fissure filled with glaze on one side define the work, showing reason for this artists great demand. Signed on the base it is 10 inches (25 cm) tall and in excellent condition.
Tsukigata Nahiko (1923-2006) was not only an accomplished ceramic artist, but also a painter, calligrapher, sculptor and musician. Born in Niigata prefecture, he was at Waseda University in 1941 when he was summarily drafted into the Army. After the war he attended the Arts course of Nippon Daigaku University and was struck by the works of Living National Treasure Arakawa Toyozo, to whom he apprenticed in the arts of Shino and took his mentors work to a new level. Like all art, his was alive and always evolving. Starting with the replication and research of Momoyama techniques to the culmination of his efforts in Oni-shino, Nahiko has taken Shino beyond all others. It was not an easy road, for the first 15 years he worked for a ballet school, spent time as a recluse priest at Myoanji temple, and wandered the country playing the shakuhachi. It was a time of great change in Japan, starvation was rampant immediately after the war and supporting oneself through the little known art of Shino-yaki was difficult. However he persevered, along with Toyozo, Kato Juuemon, Kato Kohei and others, to bring Shino to the forefront of ceramic arts. Heavily prized domestically and abroad in his lifetime, his low output and unique quality make his work a must have for collectors. Ayukai Kogetsu was a female artist from Miyagi prefecture who became a student and follower of Tsukigata in 1979. She currently takes part in calligraphy and ceramic exhibitions throughout Japan.

A covered box in red tinged shino glaze by Hori Ichiro enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Nezumishino Tobako. The pin-holed thick white glaze appears to be licked by the shadows of the flames, and on one side the artists finger prints are clearly visible as four molten points. The way the reds move like vapor across the surface it is as if it is still on fire. It is 10 inches (28cm) long and in excellent condition.
Hori Ichiro (b. 1952) graduated the Tajimi School of Industrial Design and apprenticed under Kato Kozo. He has been awarded the Governors prize at the Asahi Ceramics Exhibtion, and has been displayed at the Chunichi Kokusai Togei Ten as well as Nihon Dento Kogei Ten. He says, “I believe in making pottery which is born of nature…”

An iconic work in pale white by Living National Treasure Tsukamoto Kaiji enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Hakuji Karakusa Hachi (white porcelain bowl with Chinese Grass Design). The execution is breathtaking, so perfectly formed it demonstrates clearly the talent for which he was named a Living National Treasure. It is 19 cm (7-1/2 inches) diameter, 8 cm (3 inches) tall and is in excellent condition.
Tsukamoto Kaiji (1912-1990) was fascinated with Song period Hakuji and Seihakuji porcelains and spent his life reviving that tradition. He received a Gold Medal at the 21st Century Exposition in California in 1964. In 1965 he was awarded at the 12th Nihon Dento Kogeiten National Traditional Crafts Exhibition, and was awarded again in 1967, the same year his work was exhibited at the worlds Expo in Montreal. He exhibited with the Nihon Togei Ten national Ceramics Exhibition from its inception in 1971. The following year he was once again awarded at the 19th Nihon Dento Kogeiten National Traditional Crafts Exhibition. He received the prestigious Japan Ceramic Society (JCS) award in 1979, and Japan-China Culture Award in 1980. In 1983 he was designated an Intangible Cultural Property (Living National Treasure) for Seiji and Seihakuji porcelain. Held in The National Museum of Modern Art in Tokyo, The National Museum of Modern Art in Kyoto, The Museum of Oriental Ceramics in Osaka, Aichi Prefectural Ceramic Museum and Menard Art Museum among others. For more see “Japanese Studio Crafts” (1995) by R. Faulkner.

Iron glaze with hakeme brushed slip design by Koie Ryoji enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled simply Chawan. There is something of a midcentury abstract expressionist painting to it, with minimal coloration, it stands out in its minimalism and simplicity with a quiet elegance. The brush stroke is consistent both inside and out, not allowing a boundary at the rim. It is 14 cm (5-1/2 inches) diameter, 8.5 cm (3-1/4 inches) tall and in excellent condition.
Koie Ryoji (1938-2020)) was born in Tokoname and graduated the Tokoname industrial school before moving on to work at a tile factory in 1957, where he would lose two fingers in an industrial accident. Faced with this handicap, he entered the City Ceramics Research Facility in 1962 where he furthered his studies and his unique style began to coagulate. In 1966 he established his own studio. By the early 70s his work was garnering attention overseas and he has since been largely displayed and prizedculminating in a lifetime with the Japan Ceramic Society Gold Award in 2008, the most prestigious of pottery prizes in Japan. Work by him is held in the collections of the National Museums of Modern Art in both Tokyo and Kyoto, Yamaguchi Prefectural Museum of Art, Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art, Idemitsu Museum, The Museum of Fine Art in Gifu, Victoria & Albert Museum in London, Seoul Museum of Art in Korea, and the National Gallery of Victoria, Australia among many other public and private collections.

A humble crackled white bowl by Koie Ryoji enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled simply Chawan. Inside drops of spilled ink and a bit of blank canvas (raw earth) like a minimalist painting from the 1950s. It is 14.5 cm (5-5/8 inches) diameter, 8 cm (3-1/4 inches) tall and in excellent condition.
Koie Ryoji (1938-2020)) was born in Tokoname and graduated the Tokoname industrial school before moving on to work at a tile factory in 1957, where he would lose two fingers in an industrial accident. Faced with this handicap, he entered the City Ceramics Research Facility in 1962 where he furthered his studies and his unique style began to coagulate. In 1966 he established his own studio. By the early 70s his work was garnering attention overseas and he has since been largely displayed and prized culminating in a lifetime with the Japan Ceramic Society Gold Award in 2008, the most prestigious of pottery prizes in Japan. Work by him is held in the collections of the National Museums of Modern Art in both Tokyo and Kyoto, Yamaguchi Prefectural Museum of Art, Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art, Idemitsu Museum, The Museum of Fine Art in Gifu, Victoria & Albert Museum in London, Seoul Museum of Art in Korea, and the National Gallery of Victoria, Australia among many other public and private collections.

A double gourd shaped covered water jar by Tsukigata Nahiko enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Oni-Shino Mizusashi and inside named Robai-ju (Robai is a type of early blossoming plum, Ju is ball). It is just under 7 inches (17.5 cm) diameter, 6 inches (15 cm) tall and in excellent condition.
Tsukigata Nahiko (1923-2006) was not only an accomplished ceramic artist, but also a painter, calligrapher, sculptor and musician. Born in Niigata prefecture, he was at Waseda University in 1941 when he was summarily drafted into the Army. After the war he attended the Arts course of Nippon Daigaku University and was struck by the works of Living National Treasure Arakawa Toyozo, to whom he apprenticed in the arts of Shino and took his mentors work to a new level. Like all art, his was alive and always evolving. Starting with the replication and research of Momoyama techniques to the culmination of his efforts in Oni-shino, Nahiko has taken Shino beyond all others. It was not an easy road, for the first 15 years he worked for a ballet school, spent time as a recluse priest at Myoanji temple, and wandered the country playing the shakuhachi. It was a time of great change in Japan, starvation was rampant immediately after the war and supporting oneself through the little-known art of Shino-yaki was difficult. However, he persevered, along with Toyozo, Kato Juuemon, Kato Kohei and others, to bring Shino to the forefront of ceramic arts. Heavily prized domestically and abroad in his lifetime, his low output and unique quality make his work a must have for collectors.

A fabulous faceted Iga vessel by Atarashi Manabu enclosed in the original signed wooden box. The rough textured clay is colored by the flame, burnt red and charred gray to black, with a single bead of molten ash which crystalized into glass as it rolled around the shoulder out of the flames. This is a versatile vessel which offers differing scenes for every viewing angle. The vase is 23 cm (9 inches) tall, 16.5 x 13 cm (6-1/2 x 5 inches) and in excellent condition, directly from the artist this summer.
Atarashi Manabu has been growing in popularity as one of the leaders in the Iga pottery tradition since the first time I saw his work nearly 20 years ago when visiting the family showroom in Iga village. Born in 1973 in Osaka son of the second generation artist and one of the leading revivalists of the Iga tradition in post war Japan, Atarashi Kanji. He graduated the literature department of Kansai University in 1995, moving to apprentice under his father a few years later. In 2002 he built his first anagama Kiln, and held his first of a multitude of solo exhibitions. Intensely fired multiple times to achieve the bidoro glass puddles and landscape effects which define his aesthetic, the geometric works add a contemporary sensibility to the traditional Iga style and transcend the realm of utilitarian crafts breaking into the sculptural domain. His work has proven innovative and challenging to the norm, taking his fathers tradition into the 21st century.

Kishimoto Kennin at his best, deep in the clay of Iga, a slightly misshapen vase covered in a splash of ash glaze and dark charring, one side flattened down like a beret, a single drip of crystalline jade clinging to the rim. The vase is 29 cm (just under 12 inches) tall and in perfect condition, enclosed in the original signed wooden box.
Kishimoto Kennin has been working with clay since the 1950s, devouring styles along the way. Shino, Seto, Oribe, Iga and Celadon, all very different approaches which he masters one at a time, extending his unique view of the arts to new realms, and moving on to the next challenge when his appetite and personal genius has been satiated. He was exhibited and prized at the National Japanese Crafts Exhibition (Nihon Dento Kogei Ten), National Ceramics Exhibition (Nihon Togei Ten), Chunichi International Ceramics Exhibition (Chunichi Kokusai Togei Ten) and Asahi Togei Ten among others, and is held in several important international collections. His Iga work is particularly remembered.

Five porcelain tea cups by Kato Tsubusa enclosed in the original compartmentalized and signed wooden box titled Seihakuji Senchawan outside, and inside Seihakuji Chawan. Each is a unique shape, and they are roughly 9.5 cm (4 inches) diameter, 7 to 8 cm (3 to 3-1/2 inches) tall and all are in excellent condition. Someone has written in red on the box lid
Tsubusa was born in the home of Shino, Tajimi city. However after working some in pottery, he moved on to this white porcelain, a leap form which he has never looked back. He has been displayed at the Tokyo National Museum of Modern Art, The Chunichi Kokusai Togei Ten (Chunichi International Ceramics Exhibition) and The Asahi Togei Ten as well as a private exhibition in New york among many others.

Pristine white clay splashed with rivulets of emerald Seihakuji glaze by Tokuda Junko (Yasokichi IV) enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Kutani Seiji Hanaire. More commonly we see the pieces made in the vein of her father’s style, and I am proud to be able to offer this piece which is both feminine and quite unique to her. It is 11 cm (4-1/4 inches) diameter, 27 cm (10-1/2 inches) tall and in excellent condition.
Tokuda Junko (Yasokichi IV) was born the first child of future Living National Treasure Tokuda Masahiko in 1961. While on a trip to the United States in her mid-20s, the young Tokuda came across a pot from Jingdezhen, China and drew her back to the fold of the family tradition. She graduated from the Institute for Kutani in 1990 and embarked on her path as an artist. Succeeding the family name in 2010 upon the passing of her father, Junko is one of very few female heads of traditional potting family.

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 small wall hanging in Togidashi maki-e surrounded by a checkerboard pattern of polished Suzu-ita metal squares by Okada Yuji dating from the mid 1970s. The Togidashi technique requires the artist to create a design in Maki-e, then cover the design entirely in a layer of lacquer, polishing the lacquer through to reveal the image below. A labor intensive and time-consuming practice. In addition to this Yuji has here then applied variously polished panels of metal to the panel creating a stark contrast between the matt metal surfaces and the highly reflective lacquer. Finally he has inlayed Mother of Pearl disks into the surface. The panel is 41 x 31.5 cm (16 x 12-1/2 inches) and is in excellent condition.
Okada Yuji was born in Kyoto in 1948 and graduated with honors from the Kyoto Hiyoshi-ga-oka High School Lacquer Course, Receiving top prize for his graduation project. In 1969 he apprenticed under Ito Hiroshi, and the following year was accepted into the Kyoten (Kyoto Prefectural Art Exhibition) as well as the Kyoto Kogei Bijutsu Sakka Kyokai exhibition (Kyoto Kogei Association of artists) where he would be awarded. This begins his solo career. In 1972 he establishes himself as an independent artist, and his work is accepted into the Nitten National Exhibition. In 1973 he is accepted into the Nihon Gendai Kogeiten (Modern Crafts Exhibition). He would subsequently exhibit regularly with the above mentioned Nitten, Nihon Gendai Kogeiten, Kyoten, Kyoto Kogei Bijutsu Sakka Kyokai and later at the Urushi no Bi-ten (Nihon Shikko Kyokai Japanese Lacquer Association) exhibitions as well as solo and group shows, receiving many awards over the years. Later serving as a judge at several of these events. Throughout the 70s and early 80s he would receive numerous awards. In 1985 he took a professorship at the Dohda Art School. 1996 he enters a new phase, having become well known for restoration of lacquer arts, he begins to actively promote restoration work in addition to creating his own artwork. He would go on to restore over 3500 works of lacquer art before 2022. In 1999 he exhibits three Dry-Lacquer works at the New York Art Festival. This is a turning point in his career, when he begins debuting his latest works overseas in Germany, England and America. He retires from the Kyoto City Dohda Art School in 2003 and establishes a lacquer research center in the Ninenzaka area of Eastern Kyoto. In 2006 he opens the Lacquer Studio Shiun to pass on skills to a younger generation and becomes a member of the International Council of Museums Committee for Conservation. Post 2008 he concentrated on sharing his knowledge and technique with students and on the promotion of lacquer art through symposiums and events around the globe while at the same time continued to research into the techniques and restoration of lacquer artworks. Work by the artist is held in the collections of: the Minneapolis Institute of Art, Denver Art Museum, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Metropolitan Museum of Fine Arts New York, New Orleans Museum of Fine Arts, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Kiyomizu Sannenzaka Museum and Shanghai Art Museum among many others.

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.

Playful bands of white and red alternate with raw clay on this fabulous large vessel by Tamaoki Yasuo enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Shino Tsubo. It is 33 cm (13 inches) tall, 14 x 15.5 cm (5-1/2 x 6 inches) at the base and is in excellent condition.
Tamaoki Yasuo was born in Tajimi in 1941, one of the homes of Mino ware. He began his path to professional ceramicist at the Tajimi Industrial High School, and a stint at the Gifu Ceramics Research institute, where he followed the footsteps of a number of modern ceramic artists such as Hamada Shoji and Kawai Kanjiro, who also began their careers in the same manner. He then apprenticed under Kato Kohei before establishing his own kiln. Since, his list of exhibitions and awards is too long to print, but include the Nihon Dento Kogei Ten (National Traditional Arts and Crafts Exhibition), Best of Show twice at the Tokai Dento Kogei Ten (Tokai Traditional Arts and Crafts Exhibition), as well as being prized at the Asahi Togei Ten (Asahi Ceramics Exhibition), and receiving the prestigious Japan Ceramics Society Award. In 1991 he was named an intangible cultural asset of Tajimi city

A soft pallet of blurred pastels blend between gold risers on this elegant form by Yoshita Yukio enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Saishoku Kinsai Hanike and dating circa 2002. It is 11 inches (28 cm) tall and in excellent condition.
Yoshita Yukio is the fourth generation head of the Kinsan Kiln in Kutani, specializing in Kinsai and Yuri-Kinsai wares. Unlike standard Kutani wares, he uses a pallet of soft, earthy or pastels with accents in gold to create a new appeal. Born in Komatsu, Ishikawa in 1960, he first garnered public attention at the Asahi Togeiten in 1985, where his entry was awarded. He has since received many awards, on both local and national levels including the Issui-kai and the Nihon Dento Kogei Ten National Crafts Exhibition and Nihon Togeiten National Ceramic Exhibition. He is held in the collection of the Ishikawa Prefectural Museum, Indianapolis Museum of Art and Komatsu City Museum among others.

A red Sado Mumyoi-yaki Tokkuri (Shuchu) by Living National Treasure Ito Sekisui V enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It is 5 inches (13 cm) tall and in excellent condition.
Ito Sekisui V (Yoichi) is the 14th generation of the family to follow in the pottery tradition. His father, Ito Sekisui IV, died when Yoichi was only 19. Upon completion of studies at Kyoto University in 1966, he returned to his hometown of Sado to succeed the lineage. His work was displayed for the first time at the Nihon Dento Kogeiten (National Traditional d Crafts Exhibition) in 1972. The following year he won first prize at the Nihon Togeiten (Japan Ceramic Art Exhibition). In the 1980s, Sekisui V started to create neriage works as well as his family's traditional mumyoi-yaki pieces, and in 2003 he was appointed a Living National Treasure for his work in these fields.

A Yuteki Tenmoku Koro with wooden lid surmounted by a stone finial by Kimura Moriyasu enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It is 5 inches (12.5 cm) diameter and in excellent condition.
Kimura Moriyasu (b. 1935) studied pottery initially at the Kyoto Ceramics Research Facility (which turned out such masters as Hamada Shoji and Kawai Kanjiro) and then under his brother Kimura Morikazu. He is well known for his use of crawling and oil spot glazes. He exhibits with the Gendai Nihon Togeiten and Nihon Dento Kogeiten among others. He has been awarded the Kyoto Prefectural Order of Cultural Merit (2004). Work by him is held in the Britush Museum, Boston Museum, Dallas Museum and Ise Shrine among others.

Scraped cut and beat out of form with looping ribbons of clay for handles, here is a mizusashi which certainly does not let down; everything we have come to expect from this popular Japanese artist enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It is heavily potted, creating a bold, lively experience. The piece is 8 inches (21 cm) tall, 7 inches (18 cm) diameter and in perfect condition.
This artist has been working with clay since the 1950s, devouring styles along the way. Seto, Oribe, Iga and Celadon, all very different approaches which he masters one at a time, extending his unique view of the arts to new realms, and moving on to the next challenge when his appetite and personal genius has been satiated. He was exhibited and prized at the National Japanese Crafts Exhibition (Nihon Dento Kogei Ten), National Ceramics Exhibition (Nihon Togei Ten), Chunichi International Ceramics Exhibition (Chunichi Kokusai Togei Ten) and Asahi Togei Ten among others, and is held in several important international collections.

A Yuteki Tenmoku chawan in sumtous colors, dark blues within, midnight drizzling to sunrise pinks and sunset oranges on the side by Kimura Moriyasu enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It is 4-1/2 inches (11.5 cm) diameter and in excellent condition.
Kimura Moriyasu (b. 1935) studied pottery initially at the Kyoto Ceramics Research Facility (which turned out such masters as Hamada Shoji and Kawai Kanjiro) and then under his brother Kimura Morikazu. He is well known for his use of crawling and oil spot glazes. He exhibits with the Gendai Nihon Togeiten and Nihon Dento Kogeiten among others. He has been awarded the Kyoto Prefectural Order of Cultural Merit (2004). Work by him is held in the Britush Museum, Boston Museum, Dallas Museum and Ise Shrine among others.

An exquisite Venetian glass vase by Yasuda Taizo enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Lace pattern vase. A web of hair thin qhite is woven into the clear glass hemmed by bars of gold. It is 16.5 x 7 x 17 cm (6-1/2 x 2-3/4 x 6-3/4 inches). Yasuda Taizo was born in Hyogo prefecture in 1972. He studied Glass making at the Toyama Prefectural Glass Research Facility, graduating there in 1994, and continued working in Toyama until 1997, when he established his own studio. However it was immediately after graduating that he first began to receive acclaim, iwith a prize in 1995 at the Toyama City Art Fair prize. He would continue showing there, as well as the Toyama Prefectural Exhibition, Takaoka Craft Fair, Modern Glass Exhibition in Satsuma, Nihon Dento Kogeiten Traditional Crafts exhibition, and was also awarded at the first Toyama International Glass Exhibition in 2008.

A Wangata (bowl-shaped) White Raku Tea Bowl by Hashimoto Tomonari enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Shiro-Raku Chawan. Blanks of pale gray left by the artists fingers, and a plethora of gray freckles make for an interesting landscape. It is 11.5 to 13 cm (4-1/2 to 5 inches) diameter, 9 cm (3-3/4 inches) tall and in excellent condition, directly from the artist.
Hashimoto Tomonari was born the son of a sculptor and has felt comfortable with the processes of creation since childhood. He graduated with a masters from the Kanazawa University of Art in March 2017, then relocated to Shigaraki. A visit to his humble home studio is eye opening. Although he comes across as shy in conversation, when you move on to the subject of art, he is all confidence. He was named a finalist for the Loewe Craft Prize in 2019 and is already making international waves around Asia. Work by him is held in the V&A in London, another piece has entered LACMA and a large sculpture has recently been installed in his home prefecture of Wakayama. Get pieces by him while you can!

Delicate flowers in blue on this vase by Kiyomizu Rokubei VI enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Shuyo Kokyo Kabin. Kokyo is the Chines Bellflower. Shuyo is a type of pottery developed by and unique to Rokubei VI whereupon the image is painted onto the pot, then covered with impure pine ash glaze resulting in a very wabi-sabi aesthetic. This vase is 25 cm (10 inches) tall and in excellent condition dating from the 1970s.
The Kiyomizu family potters managed one of the most productive workshops in Kyoto’s Gojozaka district throughout the second half of the Edo period. From the Meiji they began producing tableware for export and special pieces for government-sponsored exhibitions under Rokubei IV. Rokubei V led the kiln into the 20th century, and his son, Rokubei VI (1901-1980), would assume lead in 1945, taking the kiln through the tumultuous years after the Second World War. He graduated the Kyoto Municipal School of Arts and Crafts, then the Kyoto Special School of Painting, before apprenticing under his father in 1925. He exhibited frequently and was often prized at the National Bunten, Teiten and Nitten Exhibits, where he later served as judge. He was also lauded abroad, in the USSR, France, Italy, Belgium and was appointed a member of the Japan Art Academy. In 1976 he was awarded the Order of Cultural Merit for his lifelong devotion to promoting Japanese pottery traditions. His works are held in numerous museums throughout the globe.

Irridescent red and silver tinges rise up like some deep space cloud on the meteoric surface of this wan-gata (bowl shaped) Raku chawan by Hashimoto Tomonari enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Raku Yaki Kohen Chawan. It is 13 cm (5 inches) diameter, 15 cm (4 inches) tall and in excellent condition, directly from the artist.
Hashimoto Tomonari was born the son of a sculptor and has felt comfortable with the processes of creation since childhood. He graduated with a masters from the Kanazawa University of Art in March 2017, then relocated to Shigaraki. A visit to his humble home studio is eye opening. Although he comes across as shy in conversation, when you move on to the subject of art, he is all confidence. He was named a finalist for the Loewe Craft Prize in 2019 and is already making international waves around Asia. Work by him is held in the V&A in London, another piece has entered LACMA and a large sculpture has recently been installed in his home prefecture of Wakayama. Get pieces by him while you can!

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.

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.

A trumpeting vessel, the closed top split open dripping with thick Oribe copper glaze and iron patterns by Tanahashi Jun enclosed in the original signed wooden box. it is 18.5 cm (7-1/4 inches) diameter, 16.5 (6-1/2 inches) tall and in excellent condition.
Tanahashi Jun was born in Gifu prefecture in 1959. He established his kiln in Seto in 1990, and has exhibited with the Nitten, and awarded at the Nihon Shin Kogei Ten (New Crafts Exhibition) as well as the Asahi Togeiten Ceramics Exhibition and been collected by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.