Modern Japanese Ceramics Pottery Contemporary
By Appointment is best. You might get lucky just popping by, but a great deal of the month I am out visiting artists or scouring up new items, so days in the gallery are limited.
All Items : Artists : Ceramics : Pottery : Contemporary item #1442811 (stock #1687)
Modern Japanese Ceramics
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Tarnished beaded silver is draped in gold over which runs a deep forest green on this apple shaped chawan by innovative artist Ichikawa Toru enclosed in the original signed wooden box. A thick gold tinged bead dangles from one side, and bubbly dark glaze pools within. It is 11.5 cm (4-1/2 inches9 diameter and in excellent condition. He really takes things to the extreme, challenging and yet incorporating something of the idea of Wabi into his outlandish works.
Ichikawa Toru was born in Tokyo in 1973. In 2015 he established his current studio in Bizen after 4 years of apprenticeship under another Bizen Outsider, Kakurezaki Ryuichi. He has since developed quite a following, with his shows selling out often within hours.
All Items : Artists : Ceramics : Pottery : Contemporary item #1443063 (stock #1691)
Modern Japanese Ceramics
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A splash of gold like the August moon rises through wide brushed cobalt grasses on the crackle glazed surface of this Yunomi tea cup by Ando Hidetake enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Kinsai Yunomi. It is 9 cm (3-1/2 inches) tall and in excellent condition.
Ando Hidetake was born third generation into a Mino pottery family in Gifu prefecture in 1938. He began an apprenticeship under Kato Tokuro in 1960. A testament to his skill, he was accepted for the first time four years later into the National Traditional Arts and Crafts Exhibition (Nihon Dento Kogei Ten), and followed that by taking governors prize at the Asahi Ceramics exhibition in 1970, and acceptance into the Japanese National Ceramics Exhibition (Nihon Togei Ten) in 1971; since he has displayed often with all of these important events. One of a small group of potters credited with the revival of Shino, he was named an Important Prefectural Cultural Property in 2003 (Gifu-Ken Juyo Mukei Bunkazai, the prefectural version of the Living National Treasure).
All Items : Artists : Ceramics : Pottery : Pre 1980 item #1443078 (stock #1693)
Modern Japanese Ceramics
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An exquisite plate by legendary Okabe Mineo enclosed in a wooden box titled Benishino Hirabachi, annotated inside: Work of Mineo Sensei signed and sealed by Kuroda Totoan. There is something very intimate about this artist and his work, the glaze is thin, reealing the body of the work and you can feel the potters hands in the clay. It is 32.5 cm (13 inches) diameter and in excellent condition.
Okabe Mineo (1919-1990) was born the first son of important artist Kato Tokuro, however the relationship with his father was volatile. When he was 9 Tokuro moved the young family to Seto, where Mineo would graduate the Aichi Prefectural Ceramics School in 1937. After a year at the family kiln, he moved to Tokyo, then joined the army in 1940. He fought against the Americans and would spend several years as a prisoner of war in the Philippines, repatriated to Japan in 1947. He returned to Aichi prefecture, leaving enough distance between himself and his estranged family, and with his wife began producing pottery in Toyoda. In 1953 he met Koyama Fujio; that same year he was awarded the Hokuto prize at the Nitten, and his work was collected by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This was the true beginning of his career. In 1955 he received the JCS award, one of the highest honors for a Japanese potter. By the mid ‘60s. he moved to celadon ware. He changed his name from Kato to Okabe in 1978, to honor his wife who supported his efforts for so many years.
All Items : Artists : Ceramics : Pottery : Vases : Contemporary item #1443149 (stock #1694)
Modern Japanese Ceramics
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The organic shapes of Kakurezaki Ryuichi have always been fascinating, less formed by the potters hands and more as if they dripped from the kiln roof, solidifying in the conflagration. This vase, covered in flying ash, is a perfect example of that, it even now appears to be withering in the heat. It comes enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Yohen Kaki or kiln altered vase and retains the original shifuku and shiori. The vessel is 17 x 21 x 23 cm (7 x 8 x 9 inches) and is in excellent condition.
It is likely that Ryuichi needs no introduction, one of the most well known of Bizen potters, he is interestingly originally not from Bizen but far off Nagasaki, which seems to have gifted him with the ability to see the clays potential beyond conventional form. He graduated the Osaka University of Fine Arts, then enjoyed a long apprenticeship under Bizen Living National Treasure Isezaki Jun before opening his own kiln in 1986. Combining traditional technique with modern architectural form, He was recipient of the Japan Ceramics Society Award, Grand Prize at the Fifth Contemporary Tea Ceremony Utensils Exhibition, Tanabe Museum and has a list of public and private exhibitions which go beyond this brief add, including a showing in New York this year. His works are held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum of London, National Ceramic Museum of France and the Tanabe Museum among others.
All Items : Artists : Ceramics : Pottery : Pre 2000 item #1443202 (stock #1696)
Modern Japanese Ceramics
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Although I love Bizen pottery for myself, I rarely offer it on the website as the colors are so subtle and designs often so very Japanese. This Chawan by (certainly for her era) the rare female potter Konishi Toko II is a striking exception. It stands out in a room of Bizen as if ringing a bell. This bowl is slightly smaller than normal, with a feminine grace to be found in the gentle curves, 10.5 cm diameter, 8.5 cm (3-1/4 inches) tall and in excellent condition enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled simply Bizen Chawan. The Sangiri surface is exceptional and smooth, almost wet looking, and covered in meandering waves of hi-iro color. Toko I developed the technique, a way to incorporate different shades of white, blue or gray to high-fired red pottery through oxidation without glaze. Toko II continued and expanded the tradition.
Konishi Toko II (Mitsue, 1927-2018) was born the second daughter of Konishi Toko I (1899-1954) and of course, learned from her father upon completion of her schooling. She took over the family business after her father died in 1954, in a very difficult time for Japan, battling against the effects of modernization and the lingering effects of the war and poverty of the early post war era as well as the handicap of being female in a very male-centric tradition. She was a powerhouse, carrying the kiln through the tumultuous years and was succeeded by her own son Tozo (b. 1957) who heads the family kiln today.
All Items : Artists : Ceramics : Pottery : Contemporary item #1443216 (stock #1697)
Modern Japanese Ceramics
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Blue glaze fills in the embedded patterns in this Tokkuri by Living National Treasure Shimaoka Tatsuzo enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Gosu Zogan Jomon Tokkuri. The vibrant blue is a bit of a departure for this artist whose work is often sedate, relying on the texture and patterns of the Jomon rope design over dependence on colorful glazes. It is 15 cm (6 inches) tall and in excellent condition.
Shimaoka Tatsuzo (1919-2007) was born in Tokyo and enrolled in the Tokyo Kogei Daigaku Ceramics division in 1939. The following year he would meet Mashiko Mingei potter Hamada Shoji, and the course of his life was thought set, graduating in 1941. However he was drafted in 1942, and sent to Burma where he would remain until repatriation after the cessation of hostilities. In 1946 Tatsuzo apprenticed under Hamada who encouraged him to find his own voice, which he did when in 1950 took part in research into ancient Jomon potteries with Shirasaki Shunji, which would have a profound influence on his style. Working with Jomon rope patterns, Tatsuzo set out to create a style unique to himself, establishing his own kiln in 1954. Widely exhibited, awarded and influential in his lifetime, he received the Japan Ceramic Society Gold award in 1994, one of the highest honors for a Japanese ceramic artist, and was designated a Living National Treasure (Juyo Mukei Bunkazai or Ningenkokuho) in 1996 culminating with receiving the Order of the Rising Sun in 1999.
All Items : Artists : Ceramics : Pottery : Pre 2000 item #1443217 (stock #1698)
Modern Japanese Ceramics
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A refined set of Tokkuri and Sake-cup by Banura Shiro enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled simply Shuki. Exquisite, the flask is more delicate than usual, with a long diaphanous spout and decidedly thin rim. This is made for a discerning drinker, entirely about quality not volume. The cup too is perfectly formed with a thin rim everted ever so slightly, a pleasure to drink from. This set is the perfect complement to a true kaiseki meal. The bottle is 12 cm (4-5/8 inches) tall, the cup 5.8 cm (2-1/4 inches) diameter and both are in perfect condition.
Banura Shiro (1941-2001) was born the fourth son of influential Lacquer Artist Banura Shogo. His sensitivity to textures may stem from that exacting influence. Although his older brother succeeded the family tradition (another branching into paper arts), Shiro, after graduating the Kyoto University of Fine Art, apprenticed in the plastic arts under Kawamura Kitaro (1899-1966) who was a student of Kitaoji Rosanjin. Rosanjin, a restaurateur, artist, and overall renaissance man believed the dish was there to support and bring out the beauty of food served. Shiro took this as his raison d’etre; his lifetime pursuit to create dishes which complimented the seasonality, texture, color and flavor. He had an impressive list of exhibitions, including a private exhibition at the Umeda Kindai Bijutsu-Ten as well as the Niponbashi Mitsukoshi, Takashimaya, and Ikebukuro Tobu, the equivalent of being displayed on New Yorks Fifth Avenue or other cities most Trendy streets, as well as many international exhibitions. Like most Iga-area artists, his output was low, but quality and originality high, making his work very much in demand.
All Items : Artists : Ceramics : Porcelain : Contemporary item #1443303 (stock #1701A&B)
Modern Japanese Ceramics
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Two sake cups notched and torn from pure white porcelain by Kato Takahiro enclosed respectively in their original signed wooden boxes decorated with overlapping cubes titled Sake Cup. Each is roughly 6.5 cm (2-1/2 inches) tall, 5.5 cm (2-1/4 inches) square and both are in excellent condition, directly from the artist this year.
These are by the rising star Kato Hirotaka who was born in Tajimi, Gifu prefecture, home of Shino and Oribe in 1985. His work has been exhibited at the Takaoka Craft Competition, Itami International Craft Exhibition and Japan Ceramic Art Exhibition.
All Items : Artists : Ceramics : Pottery : Contemporary item #1443333 (stock #1702)
Modern Japanese Ceramics
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Fissured white is dribbled with blue and showing flashes of red in the cracks on this large, low Ofukei and Lacquer Guinomi, by Kodai Ujiie enclosed in the original signed wooden box. This is a handful, great tactile qualities and entrancing to look at. It is 8-8.5 cm diameter, 7 cm tall and in excellent condition, directly from his recent firing.
Kodai Ujiie was born in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture in 1990, and graduated advanced studies at the Tohoku University of Art and Design in 2015. Since 2014, he has been hosted at more than half a dozen solo exhibitions, proving the popularity of his work.
All Items : Artists : Ceramics : Porcelain : Contemporary item #1443636 (stock #1709)
Modern Japanese Ceramics
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The inside of the cup is lined with smooth dark glaze which gleams gold along the rim, while the glistening white outside has been carved away, every divot and ridge a tactile pleasure. It comes enclosed in a wooden box titled Kanka (Quiet, as in: the silent elegance of a flower in bloom). This is a phrase coined by the Edo period Confucian scholar Dazai Shundai in his treatise on The Purple Grass Garden (Shishienko). It is 9 cm (3-1/2 inches) diameter and in excellent condition, from the artist this year. Itaya Narumi was born in Gifu in 1991, and graduated the Toki City Ceramics Research Facility in 2015. She has participated in several exhibitions since, with an emphasis on natural forms and tactile senses.
All Items : Artists : Ceramics : Pottery : Contemporary item #1443774 (stock #1710)
Modern Japanese Ceramics
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The abraded and torn red-tinged Iga clay fills with green glaze in a climbing spiral pattern forming this Tokkuri by Atarashi Kanji enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It is 14 cm (5-1/2 inches) tall and in excellent condition.
Atarashi 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 Fair, 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 Manabu.
All Items : Artists : Ceramics : Pottery : Contemporary item #1443870 (stock #1711)
Modern Japanese Ceramics
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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.
All Items : Artists : Lacquer : Contemporary item #1444000 (stock #1713)
Modern Japanese Ceramics
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Gold flecks twinkle like stars in the night sky inside this free form dry lacquer sake cup by female lacquer artist Arai Etsuko enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It is made of multiple layers of cloth, paper and lacquer with the final layer dusted with mother of pearl and gold flakes, polished down to a dull sheen. It is the cup 7 cm (2-1/2 inches) diameter, new from the artist in perfect condition.
Arai Etsuko (born in Kanagawa in 1980) apprenticed under Hiroshi Okada after Graduating the Kyoto School of Traditional Arts in 2003. For seven years she learned the arts of maki-e and kanshitsu, nunobari and inlay, working both on new pieces, as well as in the restoration of antique items, giving her a deep understanding of the various processes of lacquer over the centuries. In 2010 she moved out on her own. Her work is characterized by the exquisite mixture of traditional lacquer ware manufacturing methods and the delicate and gentle style unique to a woman. Her work has been exhibited at various venues throughout Japan, including the Asahi Craft exhibition and Kyoten. She was designated a Traditional Craftsperson (Dento Kogeishi) of Kyoto in 2014, Nationally in 2015. In a recent conversation she said she was drawn to the world of Lacquer by its glitter and sheen. Unlike drawing or pottery, the creation of lacquer art has no immediate sense of gratification, the imagery is brought out through layers over weeks or months, often invisible until the final stages. A most demanding medium, patience and diligence are paramount, but the result is unlike any other artform, and with proper care, can be passed through the generations, an heirloom to span the centuries.
All Items : Artists : Lacquer : Contemporary item #1444033 (stock #1595)
Modern Japanese Ceramics
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A splendid antique cut glass cup selected and decorated by contemporary female lacquer artist Arai Etsuko enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Glass Maki-e Hai, Yoake (Glass Sake Cup named Breaking Dawn). She said that when she first saw the glass in a street market, she instantly envisioned how the engraved patterns could be accentuated by colors and powdered precious metals. Here an interesting comparison of techniques is possible. The bowl is decorated outside, first with layers of color, then powdered gold applied over top. The rim is covered in dark blue lacquer sprinkled with gold, with red and blue diamonds alternating with clear glass connected to the stem by strands of gold. The base on the other hand, has been decorated in the opposite order, with powdered gold first, then a red sunrise in the center overtop of which is applied the colored lacquer. Allowing the pattern to be visible through the glass, but not from the decorated underside. It is 10.5 cm (4 inches) tall and in excellent condition, directly from the artist this year.
Arai Etsuko (born in Kanagawa in 1980) apprenticed under Hiroshi Okada after Graduating the Kyoto School of Traditional Arts in 2003. For seven years she learned the arts of maki-e and kanshitsu, nunobari and inlay, working both on new pieces, as well as in the restoration of antique items, giving her a deep understanding of the various processes of lacquer over the centuries. In 2010 she moved out on her own. Her work is characterized by the exquisite mixture of traditional lacquer ware manufacturing methods and the delicate and gentle style unique to a woman. Her work has been exhibited at various venues throughout Japan, including the Asahi Craft exhibition and Kyoten. She was designated a Traditional Craftsperson (Dento Kogeishi) of Kyoto in 2014, Nationally in 2015. In a recent conversation she said she was drawn to the world of Lacquer by its glitter and sheen. Unlike drawing or pottery, the creation of lacquer art has no immediate sense of gratification, the imagery is brought out through layers over weeks or months, often invisible until the final stages. A most demanding medium, patience and diligence are paramount, but the result is unlike any other artform, and with proper care, can be passed through the generations, an heirloom to span the centuries.
All Items : Artists : Ceramics : Pottery : Contemporary item #1444034 (stock #1714)
Modern Japanese Ceramics
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Colors of the four seasons splash and mingle like a bright and textured tempest on this handled sake server (correctly called Te-tsuki Kata-kuchi) by Murakoshi Takuma enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Shunju Shuchu. The handle is offset to the spout, which at first seems counterintuitive, but works out perfect when pouring. Our man Takuma has done his share of research into the ways of drinking (he prefers shochu these days), and this understanding and unusual approach explains why his shows, mostly made up of pottery for use, quite often sell out to restaurants and izakaya, cementing his legendary status in that market. This katakuchi is in no way mild mannered, measuring 19 x 14 x 15 cm (7-1/2 x 5-1/2 x 6 inches) and is in excellent condition, from the artist this spring.
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.
All Items : Artists : Ceramics : Pottery : Contemporary item #1444145 (stock #1718)
Modern Japanese Ceramics
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A heavily encrusted glossy sake flask by Tanimoto Kei compliments a Guinomi displaying a rustic matte finish by his son Tanimoto Takeshi enclosed in the original signed wooden boxes titled Iga Tokkuri and Iga Guinomi respectively. Bīdoro glaze (a type of natural wood ash glaze formed by firing, named from vidro, the Portuguese word for glass) coalesces into a yellow crystal rivulet on one side of the Tokkuri, opposite is a shadow of gray ash. The Cup on the other hand, bears heavy scorch marks and a more prominent texture, perfect for handling, and yellow green glaze accentuates the various textures beneath. The Tokkuri is 14 cm (5-1/2 inches) tall, the guinomi 7 cm tall, roughly the same diameter. Both are in excellent condition.
Tanimoto Kei was born the son of Iga artist Tanimoto Kosei in 1948. In 1970 he apprenticed under Hineno Tatsuzo in Mino, and in his youth he experimented widely in many mediums, design, and even spent a few years in Paris learning the art of etching. He returned to Japan in 1977 to devote himself to the plastic arts.
Tanimoto Takashi was born in Mie the eldest son of Tanimoto Kei in 1978. After graduating the literature department of Doshisha university, he entered the Kyoto prefectural ceramic school, then apprenticed under Mori Tadashi. In 2004 he spent a year abroad in Italy, returning to Japan in 2006 to launch his solo career.
All Items : Artists : Ceramics : Porcelain : Contemporary item #1444295 (stock #1721)
Modern Japanese Ceramics
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Five serene white concave disks set on unique bases by Kato Yoshiyasu enclosed in the original signed and compartmentalized wooden box titled Asobi Kodai Hai, Gokyaku Soroi (Playful Foot Five Sake Cup Set). Each cup is roughly 8 cm (3-1/4 inches) diameter, and all are in excellent condition, from the artist this year. This set was assembled by the artist specifically for our gallery, and is the only boxed set like it in the world.
Kato Yoshiyasu was born in Aichi prefecture in 1985, and graduated the Kurashiki Kogei Crafts School design department in 2008. He then went on to study at the Tajimi Ceramics Research Facility, finishing there in 2014. He moved to Nshio city in 2018, where he set up a studio and works today while raising a cute little baby with his wife.
All Items : Artists : Ceramics : Contemporary item #1444383 (stock #1722)
Modern Japanese Ceramics
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A black Porcelain vessel from the Divergence series which the artist says “can be used to serve sake or tea” titled Kuro Jiki Tsugiguchi (Black porcelain pourer). It is 9 x 15 x 6 cm (3-1/2 x 6 x 2-1/2 inches) and is in excellent condition, from the artist late last year. Matsumura Jun was born in Chiba Prefecture on the outskirts of Tokyo in 1986. He graduated from the University of South Alabama in 2010, and graduated the Tajimi Municipal Ceramics Research Facility in 2015, then went on to the Utatsuyama Research Facility in Kanazawa, leaving there in 2018. His transcendent, innovative forms have set the heart of the ceramic world racing and he has been awarded at the exhibition Tradition and Innovation-Japanese Ceramics Now as well as the 3rd Triennale of KOGEI in Kanazawa and have been presented at TEFAF in Maastricht, Art Fair Tokyo in 2018, Art Collect in London and Art Kyoto in 2019.