Catalog (1083)

A deep Choho-zara rectangular dish decorated with morning glories in dark rust and red over yellow with a black rim, a striking combination by Kyoto female artist Takagi Hoko enclosed in the original signed wooden box. Created from a heavy slab, the sides were raised and carved with wave patterns covered in white with a raw base chiseled out in long horizontal strokes. On the base is a worn piece of paper which gives the artists address and names the work, leading one to believe this was exhibited. The dish is roughly 15 x 10 inches (37.5 x 26 cm) and is in excellent condition.

A striking Tetsu-yu Kakiwake Kabin by Shimizu Yasutaka enclosed in the original signed wooden box and accompanied by the original autographed exhibition catalog from 2007. The vessel is featured as item number 1 in the catalog, the star of the show and obviously very important to the artist to have earned such placement. It stands 16 inches (42 cm) tall, 11 inches (29 cm) diameter and is in excellent condition.
Yasutaka was born into the pottery household of future Living National Treasure Shimizu Uichi in 1947. Although always involved in pottery, he began his official apprenticeship in the plastic arts under his fathers tutelage after graduating Ryukoku University in 1971. One year later his first piece was accepted in National competition at the Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition (Nihon Dento Kogeiten). The following year he was awarded the first of many awards at the second Kinki Area Nihon Kogei Kai Exhibition. In 1975 he was accepted into the Nihon Togei Ten (National Ceramics Exhibition). He has a constant following in the world of Private exhibitions, and his work is held by Kyoto Prefecture. Due to size the cost of shipping will be assessed separately from the list price.

Enigmatic forms in black populate the oil spotted rust-colored body of this voluminous work by Shimizu Yasutaka enclosed in the original signed wooden box displayed at the 35th Nihon Kogei Kai Shinsaku Togei Ten (Japan Crafts Association Exhibition of New Ceramic Works) and published on page 8 of the catalog for that year (2007, catalog included). The vessel is 14-1/2 inches (37 cm) tall, roughly 1 foot (29 cm) diameter and in fine condition.
Yasutaka was born into the pottery household of future Living National Treasure Shimizu Uichi in 1947. Although always involved in pottery, he began his official apprenticeship in the plastic arts under his father’s tutelage after graduating Ryukoku University in 1971. One year later his first piece was accepted in National competition at the Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition (Nihon Dento Kogeiten). The following year he was awarded the first of many awards at the second Kinki Area Nihon Kogei Kai Exhibition. In 1975 he was accepted into the Nihon Togei Ten (National Ceramics Exhibition). He has a constant following in the world of Private exhibitions, and his work is held by Kyoto Prefecture. Due to size the cost of shipping will be assessed separately from the list price.

A beautifully shaped green vessel by Miyashita Zenju enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It stands 10 inches (25.5 cm) tall, 8-1/2 inches (22 cm) diameter and is in fine condition.
Zenju (1901-1968) studied pottery in Japan, Korea and China, and is held in the Kyoto Municipal Museum of Art as well as the Kyoto National Museum. Work by the artist was exhibited pre-war at the Bunten and Nitten National Exhibitions as well as the 1939 and 1940 World Exposition. Post war he put his energy into reviving Kyoto’s Ceramic tradition and was exhibited at the National Ceramics Exhibition among many others. He was a leading figure in Kyoto art circles, and he passed the torch on to his son, Miyashita Zenji.

A striking large and deep basin by Yamamoto Noriyuki decorated with rich gold and iron designs enclosed in the original signed wooden box. The pattern is reminiscent of Ainu texties from the indigenous Northern Peoples of Japan. The dish is 13-1/2 x 10-1/2 x 3-1/2 inches (34 x 27 x 9 cm) and in fine condition.
Born in Tottori Northern Japan in 1948, Noriyuki came under the influence of Mingei adherent Yoshida Shoya (1898-1972) at the age of 16, and this formed the basic principles of his philosophy of ceramic art. That it is something used daily, and becomes so much a part of us we do not even think about it, yet it is so dear. After meeting Bernard leach in Tokyo in 1967, he apprenticed at the age of 18 in Tottori, establishing his own kiln in 1971. That first ten years he spent searching for himself through the ceramic medium, and according to himself it was 7 turns and 8 stumbles before his first major solo exhibition. His Kiln was once destroyed in the Typhoon of 1990, but he rebuilt and was able to hold an exhibition that same year. Overall he has eschewed the world of competitive exhibition in favor of the private confines of the one-man show.

How to describe the texture on this very unusual vase? It is porous, like a thick coat of lichen on the surface. This is one of the many unusual pieces we have come to expect from the artist Koinuma Michio, ever a surprise! The body is sculpted with thick undulating lines in relief, and covered with this earth-toned porous glaze. It is 10 inches (26 cm) tall, 12 x 5-1/2 inches (31 x 14 cm) and is in excellent condition. It is stamped on the base by the artist and signed Koinuma Michio, S. 50 6 5 (June 5th 1975) Mashiko. The Kiri-wood box is not signed.
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 for graduate studies, one of the top three schools in Japan. 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 Sueki style tiered vase by Koinuma Michio enclosed in the original signed wooden box. The cement like body exemplifies what we expect from Michio, crisp lines and geometric forms. It measures 12 inches (30.5 cm) tall and is in excellent condition.
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 for graduate studies, one of the top three schools in Japan. 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.

I have long been searching for the right item by this artist to offer on the site, and here it is: blossoms and black decorate this fine cloth-textured pottery box by Ito Motohiko enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It is 10-1/2 x 10-1/2 x 4 inches (27 x 27 x 9.5 cm) and in excellent condition.
A similar workk by this artist was sold at Bonnhams in 209 for US$ 3,965 inc. premium
The artist 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 current Emperor in person as well as receiving the Shijuho-sho prize from his majesty.

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

A dramatic basin brutalized by the elements by Shigaraki Master Tsujimura Shiro enclosed in the original signed wooden box. Representative of this artists work, the lip has split with heat, one edge blasted off, and the entire charred and buried in ash. The dish measures 7.5 cm (3 inches) deep, 29 cm (12 inches) diameter and is in excellent condition.
Tsujimura Shiro was born in Nara in 1947, and began his steps into the art world as an oil painter. While living at a Buddhist temple he experienced a profound connection with a Korean Tea Bowl, and began potting. He is highly acclaimed and somewhat reclusive, avoiding the public spectacles often needed to make one in Japan.

A breathtaking white form of draped porcelain by Nagae Shigekazu enclosed in the original signed wooden box with the original Daimaru Department Store exhibition invitation. Light patterns are almost indiscernible on the surface, incredibly detailed and crisp when viewed close-up. What is surprising about this work is the weight, incredibly light. The piece measures 16 x 16 x 5 inches (41 x 41 x 12 cm) and is in excellent condition. Due to fragility this piece will require special shipping consideration.
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.

A large mizusashi extolling thevirtues of True Momoyama Bizen by Abe Anjin enclosed in the original signed wooden box. The iron like quality of the work comes from the temperature at which Anjin fires, 200 degrees higher than most Bizen potters. Scars and interconnecting symbols harken back to the days of group firing and kiln marks. The piece is 7-1/2 inches (19 cm) diameter, 7 inches (18 cm) tall and in excellent condition. Very rare!
Born in Osaka in 1938, the mysterious recluse began his artistic carreer as an oil painter training under Miyamoto Saburo. Although best known for his Momoyama inspired Bizen works, he began delving into the pottery world with Raku, then moved into Shigaraki and Bizen, firing from a kiln in Ehime prefecture, then Okayama and has also fired Nanban ware. Works by the artist are held in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Asian Art Museum, San Francisco, National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto as well as the Imperial Household Collection among many others.

White dots pattern the scalloped swirling form of this vase by Kitamura Junko enclosed in the original signed wooden box. The vase is 7-1/2 inches (19 cm) tall, 5-1/2 inches (14 cm) diameter and in excellent condition.
Kitamura Junko learned under the tutelage of Suzuki Osamu and Kondo Yutaka of the influential Sodeisha. Like Mashiko artist Shimaoka Tatsuzo, her work is influenced by Jomon pottery, however her approach is very different. After impressing patterns into the clay with bamboo and firing once with a dark slip, the impressions are painstakingly filled with white slip, defining the pattern, and fired again. Works by the artist are held in many public collections, including the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo; the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; Houston Museum of Art and Brooklyn Museum of Art among many others. For more on this artist see Touch Fire: Contemporary Japanese Ceramics by Women Artists (2009) or Soaring Voices, Contemporary Japanese Women Ceramic Artists (2009)

A bottle form vase by important 20th century artist Yagi Kazuo enclosed in the original signed wooden box. The vase is 4 x 4-1/2 x 7-1/2 inches (10 x 11.5 x 19 cm) and in excellent condition.
Volumes have been written about pioneering artist Yagi Kazuo (1918-1979) and I am sure he needs no introduction. His birth on Independence Day seems to have been a portent of things to come. He was the son of the ceramicist Yagi Isso, and grew up surrounded by the characters of the Goja-zaka pottery world of Kyoto, living just down the street from Greats like Kawai Kanjiro and Kiyomizu Rokubei. He graduated the sculpture department of the Kyoto Municipal School of Art in 1937, and went on to further study under Numata Ichiga at the Kyoto Ceramics Research Facility. It was in 1948, that along with Kumakura Junkichi, Hikaru Yamada and Suzuki Osamu, he founded the influential Sodeisha (Crawling Through Mud Association), a group of revolutionary post war ceramic artists whose influence remains strong today. The basis of this unit was complete disposal of function in favor of form. This group and other contemporary groups (Sekidosha etc) began the rivalry which has defined Japanese ceramic art for half a century. He taught at the Kyoto Municipal University of Art for much of his life. Works by this artist are held in innumerable public and private collections throughout the world.

A superb Uzukumaru tsubo by Tsujimura Shiro enclosed in the original signed wooden box. Shell marks, kutsuki, ash blasting. The piece is 7-3/4 inches (19.5 cm) tall, 6 inches (15.5 cm) diameter and in excellent condition.
Tsujimura Shiro was born in Nara in 1947, and began his steps into the art world as an oil painter. While living at a Buddhist temple he experienced a profound connection with a Korean Tea Bowl, and began potting. He is highly acclaimed and somewhat reclusive, avoiding the public spectacles often needed to make one in Japan.

A large white Oni-Hagi tea pot by contemporary potter Shibuya Deishi enclosed in the original signed wooden box. The handle is bundled vine. The glaze crawls to reveal dark iron or bare terracotta in flashes of color beneath. Below is earth-toned Hagi glaze spattered with ash and surmounted by the thick white for which the artist is known. It is roughly 6 inches (16 cm) diameter and in new condition.
Shibuya Deishi has been the head of the Hagi Industrial Ceramics Association for some 20 years now. A pillar in the Hagi community, he has been exhibited at numerous Local and National Expositions, including the National Modern Crafts Exhibition. Oni-Hagi is one style for which he is best known. You may see pieces by this artist under his new retired name as well, as he makes way for his son to take over the business.

A tower of geometric in silver and red by Kawano Eichi enclosed in the original signed wooden box. The pebble textured surface and straight lines of the side are juxtaposed by the irregular and angular patterns of silver, like the outline of stones leading to a temple cast in shadow across the sides. The vase is 13 inches (33.5 cm) tall, 4 inches (10 cm) square and in fine condition.
Eichi was born in Osaka, 1943, and was raised in the post-war era of huge change. He studied in the plastic arts under Kiyomizu Rokubei VI, and was certainly influenced by the movement towards modernism and sculpture in the 50s and 60s. This influence is evident here in this work, which lies between the modern world of sculpture and the traditional realm of function. From 1973 he began exhibiting with the Nitten National Exhibition, and was first exhibited at the National Modern Crafts Fair the following year. That same year (1974) he was awarded at the Kyoten Exhibition. He would be consistently awarded in years to come at the Kyoten and other Local and National exhibitions.

A powerful Chossen-Karatsu mimitsuki hanaire flower vase by Nakagawa Jinembo (Jinenbo b. 1953) enclosed in the original signed wooden box. Licks of blue fire rim the blast of pale white covering the upper reaches of the dark earth. The shape is hammered and beaten by the flame, shinshoku wear from the extreme heat beginning to degrade the lip. It is 8-1/2 inches (22 cm) tall, 5-1/2 inches (14 cm) diameter and in excellent condition. A rare opportunity to acquire a masterpiece by this highly sought artist.
Jinembo was always fascinated with Karatsu ware, and studied under the great Inoue Toya from the age of 24. Several years later he returned to his hometown to establish a climbing kiln of his own, which he put to great use. From there, not satisfied with his own work skills, he went to Tanaka Sajiro for an additional apprenticeship. Since he has, as many Chajin artists, concentrated on private exhibitions as an outlet for his work, shunning the world of mass competition and retail, making his work both highly valuaed and hard to find.

A set of five E-Karatsu Mukozuke by Nakazato Tarouemon XIII enclosed in the original signed wooden box. Radically brushed birds rise up into the sky, framed by a vertical bars of iron; inside soft earthen white. Each is roughly 3 inches (8 cm) diameter, 2-1/2 inches (6.5 cm) tall and in excellent condition, bearing the Tarouemon three star mark on the base.
Nakazato Shigetoshi was born in 1930 the third son of Living National Treasure Tarouemon XII (Muan) of Karatsu fame. He was first exhibited at the Nitten National Exhibition in 1952, and received the Matsuzakaya prize at the Modern Ceramics Exhibit 4 years later, the first of a great many awards culminating in the Saga Prefectural Cultural Award in 1985 given not lightly for his lifetime endeavors. He can be found in the British Museum among others.

Although I do not often use the term, this is a masterpiece by Iga artist Banura Shiro enclosed in the original signed wooden box. Even under the glaze the texture of the clay is clearly visible, rivulets of green glass arching around the body with slashes of color over the red terracotta. It is thin walled and quite light beguiling the size. The Tsubo is 15 inches (38 cm) tall, roughly 13-1/2 inches (35 cm) diameter and is in excellent condition. Due to size the cost of shipping will be accrued separately for this piece.
Shiro was born the fourth son of Living National Treasure for Lacquerware. 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). He has 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 is low, but quality and originality high, making his work very much in demand.

A charred Tsubo blasted with ash by Takahashi Rakusai enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It reflects the style of early Shigaraki, with an engraved crosshatch belt circling the flaring mouth. The piece is 8 inches (21 cm) tall, roughly the same diameter and in excellent condition but for one tiny nick in the base.
Born in Shigaraki in 1900, Rakusai was considered one of the true masters of Shigaraki and Iga-yaki, along with Naokata and later Michio. He worked toward the revival of Kamakura and Muromachi wares like this piece, and came to the world stage when he won international acclaim after being prized at the 1958 Brussels Exposition. He was later named a Shiga-ken Juyo Mukei Bunkazai and is credited as one of the artists that saved Japanese pottery from extinction in the post-war years. He eschewed the National Competitions and was a proponent of the world of private exhibition. He died in 1976.

A Hakuji Mentori Vase by Takenaka Ko enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It is 5-1/2 inches (14 cm) diameter, 13 inches (33 cm) tall and in excellent condition.
Ko (born 1941) apprenticed under future Living National Treasure Kondo Yuzo before establishing his own kiln in 1970. He was the recipient of one of Japans most prestigious awards, the JCS award (Japanese Ceramics Society) in 1980. He was designated an Intangible Cultural Property of Kyoto in 1995 (Mukei Bunkazai or prefectural Treasure). Works by this artist are held in the Victoria Albert Museum, and the British Museum as well as both the National Museum of Modern Art Tokyo and Kyoto among many others. For more on this influential artist see the catalog for the exhibition “Japanese Ceramics Today: Masterpieces from the Kukichi Collection” (Smithsonian Institute) or Winter Whites: The Porcelains of Takenaka Ko, by Suzanne Mitchell, New York, 2003. Also, Contemporary Clay, Japanese Ceramics for the New Century by Joe Earle, 2005.

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

The surface of this rough slab is like an eroded plain with rivulets of glass running to a clouded pool in the center, signed along the edge and enclosed in the original signed wooden box by Sugimoto Sadamitsu. It is roughly 20-1/2 x 8-1/2 x 3 inches (52 x 21.5 x 8 cm) and in perfect condition.
Sadamitsu was born in Tokyo in 1935. A strong adherent to the Zen tradition, Sadamitsu established his own kiln at 33, receiving the kiln name from his mentor Daitokuji priest Tachibana Oki. His Zen studies have refined the spiritual side of his work, and all of his wood fired ceramics have a quiet and confident power. He has spent his life in the research of kohiki, Shigaraki Iga and Raku wares, and is more than well known in tea circles for the discriminating soul of his works. For more information on this artist see the book Fired with passion : contemporary Japanese ceramics ISBN 1-891640-38-0.

A massive Oribe Slab by Hayashi Shotaro enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Oribe Cho-ho-Zara. It is 25-1/2 x 13 x 4-1/2 inches (65 x 35 x 11.5 cm) and in excellent condition. Due to size the cost of shipping will be accrued separately for this item.
Shotaro is one of Japans true genius potters, moving far beyond tradition, glaze research and firing technique, to a place of inception. He first began with a 7 year apprenticeship under his older brother Kotaro, ending when he established his own kiln in 1974. Since then his list of exhibitions and awards has been amazing, including the Nihon Dento Kogei Ten (National Traditional Arts and Crafts Exhibition), Governors Prize and five times winner of Best of Show at the Asahi Togei Ten (Asahi Ceramics Exhibition), and Best of Show at Gifu Prefectural Exhibition among many others.

Air bubbles appear trapped in the glaze like a thin slab of ice. This is a fantastic Chozara by Inoue Yoshihisa enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It measures 30-1/2 x 9 x 1 inches (77 x 23 x 2.5 cm) and is in perfect condition. Due to size the cost of shipping will be accrued separately for this item.
Yoshihisa (b. 1947) studied ceramics under Kiyomizu Rokube VI, certainly one reason for his emphasis on sculptural concerns. His work has often been accepted to the Nitten National Exhibition, as well as the All Japan New Crafts Exhibition where he received the Members prize, and the Kofukai-ten.

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

Charred glaze runs in rivulets, blasted around the sides of this Kamahen Bizen vase by Yamamoto Izuru enclosed in the original signed wooden box. The vessel is 10 inches (25.5 cm) tall, roughly 5 inches (13 cm) diameter and in excellent condition.
Yamamoto Izuru was born into the family of famous potter Yamamoto Toshu in 1944. He graduated the sculpture division of Musashino University, then went on to Paris for another two years of sculpting before returning to Bizen to apprentice under his father in plastic arts in 1970. He set out on his own path in 1975, establishing his own kiln. In 1980 he was prized at the Nihon Dento Kogeiten National Traditional Crafts Exhibition. His recognition grew in the eighties, being prized at both the Chunichi Kokusai Ceramics Exhibition and having a piece displayed at the Smithsonian and V&A in 1983, then garnering the Kaneshige Toyo prize in 1985, and subsequently acquired by the Brooklyn Museum of Art in 1987. In 1995 he built a kiln in Bourgogne France, working with clays from both regions, and this piece is from that period, dating circa 2,000. He has also been the winner of the 19th grand prize at the Tanabe Museum Modern Tea Forms Exhibition and was given the Cultural Award by Okayama Prefecture in 1997. He was named an intangible cultural property of Okayama Prefecture in 2012.

An Exhibited pottery box by Watanabe kunio enclosed in the original wooden box titled Iro-e Kin/Gin-Sai KiKaMon ToBako. This piece was featured on the exhibition invitation at the Marue Gallery (included). It measures 9 inches (23 cm) across, 2 inches (5 cm) tall and is in excellent condition.
The first time I saw this artists work I was blown away by the precision, skill and beauty inherent. Kunio was born in Yamanashi Prefecture in 1967, graduating the top Art school in Japan, The Tokyo University of Art Ceramics division in 1994. Very unusual for a young potter, his first private exhibition at the Urawa Isetan Department store the following year, while still attending advanced studies at his alma mater. In 1996 he was accepted into the Dento Kogei Shinsaku-Ten Exhibition as well as the Tokai Dento Togei-Ten and established himself in Seto city. 1997 saw his first acceptance into the National Traditional Crafts Exhibition. In 2000 he was awarded at the Tokai Dento Togei-Ten and has since received numerous awards.

Pale Sunset colors show mottled through the grays of this fine vase by important Hagi artist Kaneta Masanao enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It is 10 x 7 x 8 inches (25 x 18 x 21 cm) and is in fine condition.
Masano likely needs no introduction, certainly one of Hagi is most well known names, he has been displayed both nationally and internationally innumerable times. His pieces are in the collection of the Tokyo National Museum of Modern Art, Yamaguchi Prefectural Museum and Museum of Modern Art Brooklyn. He has been displayed at the Nihon Dento Kogei Ten and Nihon Togei Ten among many many others.

Form and Texture, a beautiful white vase by Taniguchi Ryozo enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It is 8-1/2 inches (22 cm) tall and in fine condition, dating circa 1973.
Ryozo (1926-1996) studied initially under Kiyomizu Rokubei VI. He was first accepted into the Japan Academy of Arts exhibition in 1948, and subsequently into the Nitten National exhibition in 1951 and exhibited there often after, receiving many prizes including the Hokuto-sho, Prime Ministers Prize and Kiku-ka-sho as well as serving as a jury member. In 1956 he was awarded at the Modern Ceramic Art Exhibition, and five years later was recipient of the prestigious Japan Ceramics Society (JCS) Award (1961). Showing his prowess he was invited to exhibit at the National Museum of Modern Art Tokyo in 1964, and was invited to serve as a juror for the Kyoten that same year. From then his list of exhibitions and prizes is impressive and much too long to list in this add. He has also exhibited with the Modern Japanese Ceramics Exhibition as well as being awarded at the Modern Japanese Crafts Exhibition and the Kofukai, where he was awarded the Kofukai Members Prize (participating there from 1960). From the 1970s, other international and domestic exhibitions as well as a slew of private exhibitions at Japans top galleries. Works by the artist are held in the MOMAT, In 1989 he received the Kyoto Cultural award for his life works in the ceramics field.

A sculptural Green form by Yamazaki Akira (Yamazaki Koyo II, b. 1927), one of several enigmatic works we have acquired by this artist dating from the 1970s to early 80s. With the right lighting we can see a pattern of large black spots under the glaze on the bottom half of the body reminding me of the flintstones. The vase is 17 x 7-1/2 x 10 inches (43 x 19 x 25 cm) tall and in fine condition, signed on the base Akira. There is no box.
Akira’s father Yamazaki Koyo (1890-1979) was displayed and awarded consistently in many National Exhibitions and is held in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art Boston and Bern Museum of Art Switzerland among others. Akira studied under Kiyomizu Rokubei VI as well as his father and was equally exhibited and awarded, including the Hokutosho prize at the Nitten where he later served as Judge, Kofukai Ten and Governors prize at the Kyoten. For more see Fired with Passion: contemporary Japanese ceramics (2006).

Rope and cloth patterns are impressed creating deeply textured shadows on this free form ceramic sculpture awarded the Kyoto Governors prize, and dated on bottom Heisei 10 (1998) by Yasuda Kayo. A pale ash glaze runs in sheets and rivulets over the lined and creased surface, with the top bursting open. This piece is 15 kilograms, 16 inches (40 cm) diameter, 18 inches (45 cm) tall and in fine condition. All the Yasuda family pieces are from the Matsui family collection of Fushimi, an extensive collection of art objects encompassing many aspects of crafts, including sculpture, Pottery and Metalwork. It would seem they had a personal connection with the Yasuda family, as they owned many pieces, including tea bowls, vases and these larger sculptural works which we happily acquired. Due to size and weight this will likely require shipping by private air freight, to be assessed separately.
Kayo was born in Kyoto in 1952 into the house of important Avant-garde artist Yasuda Zenko. A pioneering female artist in Japanese ceramics, she has worked tirelessly against a system which suppressed women in the field. She is currently a resident of Shiga prefecture and frequent exhibitor with the Nitten National Exhibition.

A kaki (persimmon) is playfully rendered in orange and green on the wide white sides of this green bordered square bottle by Avant-garde Sodeisha Potter Kumakura Junkichi enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It is 15 x 6.5 x 12 cm (6 x 2-1/2 x 5 inches) and in excellent condition.
Junkichi began working in ceramics in the 1940s, his works submitted to innumerable National and International Exhibitions including the Japan Art Festival, New York and the international Arts and Crafts Exhibition in Florence Italy. He also submitted to the Brussels World Exposition and helped design murals for the World Exposition Osaka. At the International Ceramics Exhibition, Prague in 1962 he took a silver prize. He was also often exhibited and is in the permanent collection of the Japanese National Museum of Modern Art as well as the National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto. Along with Suzuki Osamu, Hikaru Yamada and Yagi Kazuo, Junkichi was one of the founding members of the influential Sodeisha (Crawling Through Mud Association), a group of revolutionary post war ceramic artists whose influence remains strong today.

An austere white form, devoid entirely of decoration, by important Avante Gard Sodeisha artist Yamada Hikaru enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It is 13 cm diameter, 15 tall (5-1/2 x 6 inches) and in excellent condition. For more see a white sake set of vessels like this piece in the collection of the V&A.
Hikaru (1924-2001), was born into the family of layman potter and priest Yamada Tetsu, and raised in Gifu after the family home was destroyed in the Great Kanto Earthquake. At the age of 20 he entered the Kyoto ceramics research facility, 15 years junior to those who had inspired the great Mingei movement at that same institution. Somehow escaping overseas service in the war, he met Yagi Kazuo in 1945, and the two formed an instant bond, founding a group for young potters the following year. Compounded by the austerity and poverty they faced as young artists in the immediate postwar, the group grew and along with Kumakura Junkichi, Suzuki Osamu and Yagi Kazuo formed the most influential post war ceramics organization, Sodeisha, as it was, in 1948. They eschewed public competition and espoused the ideas of art for arts sake, negating the ideas of the mingei movement, which stressed function over form. Together, members of the group worked tirelessly to promote modern Japanese pottery for the next several decades both within and outside of Japan. Held in inumerable public and private collections including the National Museum of Modern Art, both Tokyo and Kyoto, Museum of New South Wales and the Victoria Albert.

A thin roughly textured plate by avant garde Yagi Kazuo titled cryptically Nanbanzara (The Southern Barbarians Plate) and enclosed in a fine Shiho Kiri-wood box endorsed by his son Yagi Akira. It is 10 inches (26 cm) diameter and in fine condition.
Volumes have been written about pioneering artist Yagi Kazuo (1918-1979) and I am sure he needs no introduction. His birth on Independence Day seems to have been a portent of things to come. He was the son of the ceramicist Yagi Isso, and grew up surrounded by the characters of the Goja-zaka pottery world of Kyoto, living just down the street from Greats like Kawai Kanjiro and Kiyomizu Rokubei. He graduated the sculpture department of the Kyoto Municipal School of Art in 1937, and went on to further study under Numata Ichiga at the Kyoto Ceramics Research Facility. It was in 1948, that along with Kumakura Junkichi, Hikaru Yamada and Suzuki Osamu, he founded the influential Sodeisha (Crawling Through Mud Association), a group of revolutionary post war ceramic artists whose influence remains strong today. The basis of this unit was complete disposal of function in favor of form. This group and other contemporary groups (Sekidosha etc) began the rivalry between function and form which has defined Japanese ceramic art for half a century. He taught at the Kyoto Municipal University of Art for much of his life. Works by this artist are held in innumerable public and private collections throughout the world.

Highlighting our trip back to the years of change in the sixties and seventies is this masterpiece by Miyashita Zenji exhibited in 1972. The box is titled Ban, Shizukana Kukan no Tame ni (Basin, For a Quiet Space) and signed Zenji-saku, dated inside Showa 47 (1972) with a notation stating this piece was displayed at the 2nd Gendai Nihon Shinjin Sakka Ten (2nd Modern Japanese New Artists Exhibition). The piece is 43 x 51 x 21 cm (17 x 20 x 8 inches) and weighs 16 kgs (35 pounds) plus the box. There is a small chip in the edge of one upper corner of the basin (see photographs); otherwise it is in fine condition. One piece of wood on the bottom of the box has been replaced. This is very heavy, and the cost of shipping will be accrued separately.
Zenji (1939-2012) was born into the family of potter Miyashita Zenju, and graduated the Kyoto Municipal University of Art. Starting with the most difficult, he worked from Celadon, which relies on shape and extreme control of firing. He is held in the British Museum, Metropolitan New York, Brooklyn Museum among a host of others.

A Heavy Slab-formed open rectangle of buff stoneware decorated with blanks of color “peeling” from the sides by Okada Kenzo enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Kaku Tsubo. It measures 16 inches (40 cm) tall, 4-1/2 x 20 inches (12 x 51 cm) and weighs 16.5 kilograms (36 lbs) not including the box. It is in excellent condition. Due to size and weight the cost of shipping will be accrued separately. Okada Kenzo (b. 1948) is based physically in Mashiko but his work is based very much in the modern dimmension. He has exhibited at many domestic and international events including the Japan Traditional Art and Crafts exhibition, Chunichi International Ceramics Exhibition, and the Nihon Togeiten (National Pottery Exhibition), as well as Faenza International Ceramic Art exhibition and the 1993 Japan Society NY exhibition titled 'Modern Japanese Ceramics in American Collections. Work by him is held in the collection of the V&A, London among others.

Running up to the end of our 60s and 70s ceramics, here is a great piece by a student of Yagi Kazuo, Yoshitake Hiromu (Hiroshi) enclosed in the original signed wooden box and dating from the late 60s or early 70s encapsulating the feeling of rage against conformity then rupturing the Japanese ceramic world. It is 6 x 14 x 16 inches (15 x 35 x 40 cm) and is in fine condition. Due to size and weight the cost of shipping will be accrued separately for this piece.
Born in Kyoto in 1938, Hiromu was a member of Sodeisha and studied under Yagi Kazuo concentrating on sculpture. Initially in Kyoto, then Otsu, he is now established in Nagano prefecture. For more on this artist see the book Gendai Nihon Togei (Kinki volume II).

An exquisite white shape by Nagae Shigekazu enclosed in the original signed wooden box dating circa 1996. Inscribed light patterns like waving blades of grass are almost indiscernible on the surface, incredibly detailed and crisp when viewed close-up, a green splash of color like a Christmas ribbon circling the form in both directions. It measures 14 inches (35 cm) tall, 5 inches (13 cm) square at base, mouth 7-1/2 x 2 inches (18.5 x 5 cm), and is in perfect condition. Included is the original exhibition invitation.
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. For more on this important modern artist see To, The best selections of contemprorary ceramics in Japan, Vol. 74.

A wild work by Kishimoto Kennin enclosed in the original singed wooden box. The large work is of torn and scarred Iga clay, covered with a dusting of natural molten ash pooling as glass in the crevices. It is 11 inches (28 cm) diameter, 13-1/2 inches (34.5 cm) tall.and in fine condition.
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.

A lidded vessel of diamond form decorated with a circle and square viewed through vertical blinds of changing colors beaded with silver dew by Kondo Takahiro. It comes enclosed in the original signed wooden box enclosed inside a red lacquered outer wooden box (Niju Tomobako) dating circa 2002. The piece measures 7-1/2 x 4 x 10 inches (19 x 11 x 25 cm) and is in perfect condition.
Takahiro (b. 1958) was born the grandson of Living National Treasure Kondo Yuzo. However he graduated Hosei university not with a degree in sculpture or crafts, but in Literature. From there he studied at the Kyoto Prefectural Technical Institute of Ceramics, followed by a year at the Kyoto Municipal Institute of Industrial Research. 15 years later he would spend a year in Edinburgh studying glass making, and with this combination of skills, was born the silver mist series for which he is so highly acclaimed. Work by him is held in Museums throughout the world, including the National Museum of Scotland, Brooklyn Museum of Art, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Museum of Arts & Design, New York, Spencer Museum of Art, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Art Gallery NSW, Sydney, Hamilton Art Gallery, Australia, Miho Museum. National Gallery of Victoria, Paramita Museum, The Museum of Contemporary Ceramic Art, Shigaraki, and The São Paulo Museum of Art, Brazil among others. Without a doubt one of the most important contemporary artists in Japan today. For more see Celestial Ceramics: the Art of Kondo Takahiro (2002)

A sculptural Green form by Yamazaki Akira (Yamazaki Koyo II, b. 1927) enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Kujaku-yu Tori-tsubo (Peacock Glazed Bird Shaped Vase). The vase is 11 x 6 x 6 inches (28 x 15 x 14 cm) and in fine condition, signed on the base Akira.
Akira’s father, Yamazaki Koyo (1890-1979), was displayed and awarded consistently in many National Exhibitions and is held in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art Boston and Bern Museum of Art Switzerland among others. Akira studied under Kiyomizu Rokubei VI as well as his father and was equally exhibited and awarded, including the Hokutosho prize at the Nitten where he later served as Judge, Kofukai Ten and Governors prize at the Kyoten. For more see Fired with Passion: contemporary Japanese ceramics (2006).

An intriguing form by Takeuchi Shingo titled Zogan Hento (An Inlaid Strange Vase) enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It measures 18 x 19 x 24.5 cm and is in fine condition, dating circa 2002.
Takeuchi Shingo(b.1955) hails from Seto city, one of the oldest ceramic production centers in Japan. He studied at the Aichi Prefectural Ceramics Research Facility until 1979, then under the great Kato Shuntei II before establishing his own kiln in 1982. Exhibited at the Asahi Togeiten Ceramics Exhibition, Chunichi Kokusai International Ceramics Exhibition, Nihon Togeiten Ceramics Exhibition, and in innumerable galleries both at home and abroad. He is held in many private and public collections including the Seto Musuem, The Korean International Ceramics Foundation, Yingge Ceramics Museum Taiwan and others.

Pastel earth tones color this spontaneous form by Kawamoto Taro enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It is 25 x 28 x 28 cm (10 x 11 x 11 inches) and is in excellent condition.
Kawamoto Taro (b 1955) graduated Aichi prefectural art university in 1977. He has been exhibited and awarded at many national and international events including the Chunichi Kokusai Togei-ten (Grand Prize twice), Florence International Ceramics Exhibition and the Asahi Togei-ten (Asahi Ceramics Prize). For more on this important modern artist see To, The best selections of contemporary ceramics in Japan, Vol. 74.

A fine Iga-yaki Tsutsu Chawan by Tsujimura Kai enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It is 11 cm (4-1/2 inches) diameter, 9 cm (3-1/2 inches) tall and in excellent condition.
Kai was born in Nara, son of Tsujimura Shiro, in 1976, making him one of the younger artists we have offered. Although of course growing up surrounded in pottery, he began apprenticing in earnest under his father in 1995, establishing his own studio in 2000.

A spectacular Oni Karatsu Vase by Inoue Toya of the Kyozan Kiln enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It is 10 inches (25 cm) tall 6 inches (16 cm) diameter and in excellent condition.
Inoue Toya (1942-2013), graduated the prestigious Nihon Daigaku in 1966, having spent his student years excavating ancient Karatsu shards and researching their techniques. He apprenticed under the multifaceted potter Nushi Ensai. In 1969 he opened his own kiln. He served as head of the Karatsu Ceramic Cooperative from 1983-2010 while focusing on private exhibitions held at Department stores and galleries throughout Japan. In 2008 his lifetime achievements were recognized with a private exhibition in Los Angeles.

This natural form is charred and blackened, rivulets of glaze running like lava down the side, a seminal work by veteran Shigaraki artist Minagawa Takashi enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It is 15 x 13 x 19 cm (6 x 5 x 8 inches) and is in fine condtion.
Takashi was borni in Shigaraki in 1930, and raised among the many kilns in the valley. He apprenticed under Komori Shoan, and uses both climbing and Subteranian kilns to the extent that no one is said to be able to approach his kiln effects. His work is exhibited in Japan’s top galleries, including Kuroda Toen (Ginza) and a host of Department store galleries.

An interesting Tanzaku Shaped slab of colorful clay mounted onto aluminum hanging hardware by Mihara Ken enclosed in a signed box (carboard) dating from 1996 titled Ritsu. It is 7 x 6 x 36 cm (3 x 2-1/2 x 14 inches) and is in fine condition. A Tanzaku is a pillar shaped paper card upon which is traditionally written poetry.
Mihara Ken was born in Shimane prefecture in 1958, and apprenticed under Funaki Kenji at the age of 23. He has been exhibited and or prized at the All Japan Ceramic Exhibition (Nihon Togei Ten), Asahi Ceramic Exhibition, the National Traditional Crafts Exhibition (Nihon Dento Kogei Ten) as well as the Tanabe Museum Chanoyu no Zokei Ten (Modern tea forms Sculpture Exhibition). He has displayed in both Europe and America and is held in the permanent collection of the Tanabe Museum of Art and the New Orleans Museum of Art among many others.

Waves of color belt this unusual form by Usui Kazunari enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It is 20 inches (50 cm) tall, roughly 8 inches (20 cm) diameter and in fine condition.
Usui Kazunari was born in Seto city, Aichi in 1954, and graduated the Nagoya University of Art, sculpture division in 1977. He immediately apprenticed under Kato Shuntei, where he remained until establishing his own kiln in 1983. He has been often displayed at the Nihon Dento Kogeiten and Nihon Togeiten. In 1996 one of his works was chosen to travel overseas with the Contemporary KŌGEI Styles in Japan Exhibition (Gendai Nihon no Kogei Ten). He has received many awards, including top prize at the Tokai Dento Kogeiten (twice).

Few foreign potters are able to embrace the Japanese aesthetic as well as Jeff Shapiro. Here is a piece from his second solo exhibition in Tokyo dated 1991. This piece is 9-1/2 inches (24 cm) tall, 9 inches (23 cm) diameter and in excellent condition.
Shapiro was born in New York in 1949. He studied ceramics in Japan from 1973 to 1980, returning to America to build an Anagama kiln in New York in 1981. Works by him are held in numerous American Museums, including Museum of Ceramic Art, The Brooklyn Museum of Art and the Fuller Museum. He has also been commissioned by the New York Metropolitan for its Japan Gallery. There is an abundance of published information on the artist including the 1998 “Ceramics and Beyond”, by Dai Ichi Arts and the 1995 “Yakimono Sanka – In Praise of Ceramics”, by Robert Yellen

This is a stunner; a piece exemplifying the style of this incredible artist! Radical black florals decorate the rich iron sides of the bowl, tapering ever so slightly closed toward the top to help trap the aroma of the green tea within. Imagine the color contrast of dark earth-tones with the foamy maccha inside! It comes enclosed in a fine kiri-wood box endorsed by Kawai Koha, current head of the Kawai Kanjiro Museum. The bowl is 4-3/4 inches (12 cm) in diameter, 3-1/2 inches (9 cm) tall and in perfect condition. Kanjiro was a true artist by nature, and together with Hamada Shoji, set a pattern of study for modern potters. After graduating the Tokyo School of Industrial Design, he came to study in Kyoto, eventually establishing his own kiln on the Gojo-no-Saka (It remains standing today and is a must see for anyone visiting Kyoto). Together with compatriots Hamada Shoji and Bernard Leach (with whom he traveled throughout Asia) established the modern Mingei movement in ceramics, the most influential ceramics movement in the 20th century. His research on glazes (of which he developed thousands over a lifetime of work) remains influential as well. Refusing to be limited to ceramics, Kanjiro also worked in bronze, wood and paint. An interesting final note on this unusual artist, when offered the title of Living National Treasure, an honor bestowed on very few, he declined.

Ash runs in glassy rivulets down the sand textured sides of this large work by Tsuboshima Dohei enclosed in the original signed wooden box. The undulating rim calls to mind ancient firing traditions, the intense heat of the kiln warping the forms as they turn near molten. This exceptional piece is roughly 10 inches (24.5 cm) tall, 11 inches (28 cm) diameter and is in excellent condition. Born in Osaka, 1929, Dohei apprenticed under the eclectic Kawakita Handeishi immediately following World War II, becoming his top pupil, and eventually taking over the kiln in Tsu, Mie prefecture following the death of Handeishi in 1963. Handeishi was a unique bump on the Japanese ceramic landscape, a powerful businessman who took pottery as a hobby, much along the lines of earlier artist Nakamura Shuto, contemporary Kitaoji Rosanjin and Deguchi Wanisaburo. Dohei began large singular exhibitions of his own work in 1967, both in Osaka and Tokyo, and the following year in Yokohama. He continued these beyond his 30 year retrospective held in 1995, adding Nagoya to his list of sites in 2000. His philosophy has been to preserve the dignity of his teacher by both maintaining strong ties with other students of the master, and eschewing the world of large or mass exhibition. Works by the artist are held in the Mie Prefectural Art Museum among others.

Amazing Glaze on this unusual three sided vase by Iga artist Atarashi Kanji enclosed in the original signed wooden box. Shell shapes are impressed into the thick green fromwhere it was supported in the kiln. Able to be used either standing or on its back, this is a superb work. It is 15 inches (39 cm) long 4-1/2 x 5-1/2 inches (11.5 x 14 cm) and is in excellent condition.
Kanji was born in Osaka in 1944, and graduated the Osaka College of Craft design. After 3 years in Kobe, and 4 in Kishiwada (Wakayama) he came to settle in Iga, where he was one of the driving forces behind the resurrection and preservation of the Iga tradition. Although displayed at the National Craft Exhibition, he prefers the intimacy of the private exhibition, of which he holds several every year. And if ones visit to japan is not timed right for an exhibition, he can otherwise be found at his kiln working along with his son and daughter.

A pair of celadon Te-shoku candle sticks by contemporary potter Orita Tatsuya enclosed in the original signed wooden box. The elegantly sculpted base rises to a dish in which is imbedded a brass pin to secure the candle, with a long tapering handle. The handle features a bamboo nodule decoration in the center, with a curl of clay at the end, the rough edges of which, like a shaving of planed wood contrasting with the perfection of the form. Each is roughly 9-1/2 inches (18 cm) long, 4-1/2 inches 11 cm) tall and in excellent condition.
Born in Kagawa prefecture in 1964, Tatsuya entered the Seto Ceramics Research facility in 1984 before moving to apprentice under Takita Koichi. He moved to establish his own kiln in 1989. Twice prized at the Nihon Mingei-Kan Ten, he has been exhibited at the Nihon Dento Kogei-Ten (National Traditional Crafts Exhibition) as well as the Nihon Togei Ten (National Ceramics Exhibtion) where he received the Nihon Togei-Ten Prize in 1999 and the Mombu Kagaku Daijin Sho prize in 2009. In 2008 his entry was purchased by the Imperial Household Agency.

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 dark burn on one side define the work, showing reason for this artists great demand. Signed on the base it is 4-1/2 inches (11.5 cm) diameter, 3-1/2 inches (9 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 eas 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 large pulled, rolled and torn Oribe slab dish covered with translucent green by Ishii Takahiro enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It is 24 x 11 inches (61 x 28 cm) and in fine condition.
Ishii Takahiro was born in Gunma prefecture in 1980 and has taken Japan by storm after graduating the Kyoto Municipal University of Art and an apprenticeship under Kakurezaki Ryuichi. A true rising star in the Ceramics world

Red tinges the deeply fissured celadon on this massive basin by Living National Treasure Shimizu Uichi enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Seiji Benisai Hachi (Celadon with red flamed Basin). Rising from a narrow foot, the piece seems to float in the air, gold and red shining through the cracks in the fissured glaze. It is 18 inches (46 cm) diameter, 4-1/2 inches (11.5 cm) tall and in fine condition. Due to size and weight this piece will require special shipping consideration.
Shimizu Uichi (1926-2004) was born in Kyoto the son of a ceramic dealer. Discarding the family business he apprenticed in plastic arts under Ishiguro Munemaro. His work retains some principal elements of his teachers style while incorporating an understated elegance and avant-garde spirit of challenge uncommon for his time. He was first exhibited at the Nitten in 1951, receiving numerous awards there since. He also took the gold medal at the Prague International Exhibition, and was at the Brussels World Exposition. He is in the collection of the Tokyo National Museum, Kyoto Museum of Modern art, Clark Center and the Freer Gallery among others.

Spectacular keshiki resulting from the combination of multiple kiln affects and textures defines this large footed slab by Kanzaki Shiho enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It is 14 x 20 inches (36 x 51 cm) and in excellent condition.
Kanzaki (b. 1942) prefers firing his kiln for ten days, resulting in the rich textures and heavy ash deposits apparent on this Tsubo. He began life 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 has 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.

A pair of thick Oribe slab dishes heavily raked and splashed with green by Ishii Takahiro enclosed in the original signed wooden box. They are 8 inches (20 cm) square each and in fine condition.
Ishii Takahiro was born in Gunma prefecture in 1980 and has taken Japan by storm after graduating the Kyoto Municipal University of Art and an apprenticeship under Kakurezaki Ryuichi. A true rising star in the Ceramics world