Catalog (1084)

A breathtaking work by Hashimoto Tomonari, deep space covered in random clouds and explosions of color like some precious treasure, the origin of life, from another world. It is roughly 24 cm (9-1/2 inches) diameter, 34 cm (14 inches) tall and weighs 4.2 kilograms and comes enclosed in a signed wooden box from the artist this year.
Hashimoto Tomonari was born the son of a sculptor and has felt comfortable with the processes of creation since childhood. He graduated with a masters from the Kanazawa University of Art in March 2017, then relocated to Shigaraki. A visit to his humble home studio is eye opening. Although he comes across as shy in conversation, when you move on to the subject of art, he is all confidence. He was named a finalist for the Loewe Craft Prize in 2019 and is already making international waves around Asia. He is held in the collection of the V&A London, Los Angeles County Museum and Kalamazoo Institute of Arts among others.

A modern interpretation of the six sided shuki popular in ki-seto from the Momoyama period, this in white Raku by Hashimoto Tomonari enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Shiro Raku Guinomi. The fire blackened (originally white) clay sets off the thick white glazze like winter snow receding from garden stones. It is 6 cm (2-3/8 inches) across, the same height and in excellent condition, directly from the artist this year.
Hashimoto Tomonari was born the son of a sculptor and has felt comfortable with the processes of creation since childhood. He graduated with a masters from the Kanazawa University of Art in March 2017, then relocated to Shigaraki. A visit to his humble home studio is eye opening. Although he comes across as shy in conversation, when you move on to the subject of art, he is all confidence. He was named a finalist for the Loewe Craft Prize in 2019 and is already making international waves around Asia. He is held in the collection of the V&A London and Los Angeles County Museum.

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

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

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

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

Reminiscent of the Rolling Stones album cover, a wild sculpture by important contemporary sculptor Hayami Shiro. The bean shaped object is 15 cm (6 inches) diameter, 32 cm (12-1/2 inches) long and in excellent condition. It is signed on the base and appears to be dated 1999. Typical of this artist, it comes in a cardboard box
Hayami Shiro (b. 1927) was born in Kagawa Prefecture in 1927, and graduated the Tokushima Industrial University in 1949. His first exhibitions did not materialize until 1964, and from there he flourished. From the late 60s he began exhibiting in National Sculpture exhibitions, and has been often awarded; both domestic and international. He is best known for Tile works and stone sculpture. In 2000 he received the International Artistic Cultural Award (Kokusai Geijutsu Bunka Sho). A prominent work by this artist is on semi-permanent display in front of the Freer Gallery, adjacent to the Smithsonian Museum on loan from the Hirshhorn Collection. Other works are held by the Togei No Mori Museum of Shiga Prefecture, Tokyo City Hall and the Aichi Art Culture Center.

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

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

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

A spiraling form rises to a small opening creating this temporal vase by Takatsu Mio enclosed in the original signed wooden box from the artist this year (in fact she is signing the box right now!). The mouth is at an angle, allowing the viewer a unique image depending upon viewpoint. It is 13 cm (5 inches) diameter, 21 cm (8 inches) and is in excellent condition.
Takatsu Mio (b. 1976) was raised in Gifu prefecture among the scattered kilns of Mino. She graduated the Osaka University of Arts Sculpture Department in 1999, moving on to advanced studies which she completed in 2001, putting her at the forefront of the current female revolution in Japanese ceramic arts. Her first exhibited works were in 1999, and then again in Tokyo in 2001. The following year she exhibited with the 6th International Ceramics Exhibition in Mino with several private exhibitions over the following years in many top venues. In 2005 she made her overseas debut. In 2009 her work was featured in Women Ceramic Artists in the 21st Century (Paramita Museum/Mie Japan) 2011 saw her work accepted into the Faenza International Ceramics Exhibition in Italy, as well as the Nihon Togeiten National Ceramics Exhibition. She had to take a break to concentrate on motherhood and raising a baby, but it back in the saddle again, creating new works and showing what a woman and a mother can do.

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

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

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

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

A wild ceramic sculpture in rich dark iron glaze by Takatsu Mio enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Soko ni Tsuiki Suru (Take a Breath). Mio is an amazing person, very intense when she works, very casual when she is not. She will happily take a hammer to a piece after months of work, if it does not meet her inner criteria, thus her production is quite low, but quality is extremely high. This piece is 37 cm (14-1/2 inches) long and in excellent condition, from the artist this summer.
Takatsu Mio (b. 1976) was raised in Gifu prefecture among the scattered kilns of Mino. She graduated the Osaka University of Arts Sculpture Department in 1999, moving on to advanced studies which she completed in 2001. Her first exhibited works were in 1999, and then again in Tokyo in 2001. The following year she exhibited with the 6th International Ceramics Exhibition in Mino with several private exhibitions over the following years in some of Japans top venues. In 2005 she made her overseas debut. In 2009 her work was featured in Women Ceramic Artists in the 21st Century (Paramita Museum/Mie Japan) 2011 saw her work accepted into the Faenza International Ceramics Exhibition in Italy, as well as the Nihon Togeiten National Ceramics Exhibition.

Tarnished silver glows dully inside this raw clay bowl by female pottery pioneer Ogawa Machiko enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled simply Wan. It is 14 cm (5-1/2 inches) diameter, 7 cm (3 inches) tall and in excellent condition.
Ogawa Machiko was born in Sapporo on the Northern Island of Hokkaido in 1946. She studied under future Living National Treasures Fujimoto Yoshimichi, Tamura Koichi and Kato Hajime at the Tokyo University of Arts, graduating in 1969, then went on to further studies in France and Africa, returning to Japan in 1975. She began garnering attention in the mid eighties, and has since become one of the leading female figures in Japanese pottery. She was awarded the JCS prize in 2001, one of Japans most prestigious awards. Work by her is held in the Brooklyn Art Museum, LACMA, New York Metropolitan Museum of Art, Smith College, MIA, MOMAT and a host of others. For more see “Touch Fire, Contemporary Ceramics by Women Artists” (2009) or Toh, volume 67 (1993).

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 colorful pair of hips by Matsuda Yuriko enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Kinsai Aka-e Shiri -Goo- (Red and Gold Decorated Porcelain Buttocks, -Goo-. It was exhibited at the Ilmin Museum of Art exhibition: “Its Horizontal Its Vertical” in Seoul South Korea in 1997 and retains the original artist made stand as well as the exhibition pamphlet. The piece is 43 x 32.5 x 14 cm (17 x 13 x 5-1/2 inches) excluding the stand, and is in excellent condition.
Matsuda Yuriko was born in Ashiya, Hyōgō Prefecture in 1943nd lives and works in Oshino, Yamanashi Prefecture. Yuriko is an avid exhibitor; it is a wonder she has time to do any work at all. Both within Japan (Nihon Togei Ten, Gendai Togei Ten etc.) and without she has an impressive list of exhibitions in a host of countries. She received the Yagi Kazuo prize in 1986 among many others. According to the book “Touch Fire”, Many of the women artists included in this exhibition are independent innovators who work outside the constraints of Japanese ceramic traditions. However, several of the artists, including Matsuda Yuriko, continue to use traditional techniques with skills that rival, if not exceed, those of their predecessors, and in doing so they create new and challenging contemporary ceramic Sytg art. They reinterpret the traditional decorative technique for porcelain vessels, called iro-e over-glaze enameling, and transposes its motifs onto nonfunctional objects. Her beautifully enameled iro-e porcelain sculptures are witty odes to two favorite subjects: the female body and Mount Fuji. For more information on this artist and examples of her work see the books Contemporary Japanese Ceramics, Fired with Passion by Beatrice Chang and Samuel Lurie. Also see Contemporary Clay, Japanese Ceramics for the New Century based on the Museum of Fine Arts Boston exhibition or Soaring Voices, Contemporary Japanese Women Ceramic Artists (2010).

Perfect for the humble entrance of a tea room, an orthodox wall vase by legendary Atarashi Kanji enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Iga Tabi-makura Kake-Hanaire (Travel Pillow Hanging Vase). It is 10.5 cm (4 inches) diameter, 17 cm (6-1/2 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.

An archetypal Iga vase by Iga Die-Hard Atarashi Kanji enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Iga Mimitsuki Hanaire. The overall organic lines are quintessential Iga and do not disappoint. The glazing is perfect, showing off both the beauty of bidoro and the rich terracotta clay. It is 24 cm (9-1/2 inches) tall 11 cm (4-1/4 inches) diameter and in perfect 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.

A Shigaraki vase by Furutani Kazuya enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Shigaraki Konsei Hanaire. The Konsei blended clay creates a unique texture. The coloration on thi piece makes it stand apart from its contemporaries. Very unusual and striking combination of raw clay, orange, black and a few crystaline beads of green glazz around two white eyes. It is 29 cm (11-1/2 inches) tall, 15 cm (6 inches) diameter 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.

Dark iron accents the rim of this mouse colored Shino vase by Hori Ichiro enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Shino Hanaire. It is 26 cm (10-1/4 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…”

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 strikingly unusual charred vessel in the form of a kinuta fulling block by Atarashi Kanji enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It is made of lumped clay scorched dark from deep within the embers of the kiln. The unique texture has allowed liquified ash to fill the spaces between with dusky color. I bought this piece on a summer visit with the artist this year, the only one like it he had. It stood out from across the room among all the ash glazed pots as a masterpiece. It is 12 x 14 x 24 cm (4-1/2 x 5-1/2 x 9-1/2 inches) 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.

A proud Shino bowl licked by flame by legendary artist Hori Ichiro enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Shino Chawan. Red tendrils leap up the deeply fissured white glaze. The bowl is hefty yet comfortable to hold, perfectly formed with slightly tapering sides and a wavy rim. It is 14 cm (5-1/2 inches) diameter, 9 cm (3-1/2 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 Exhibition, 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 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.

Wow, this Iga Shinogi Mizusashi by Atarashi Manabu is as good as it gets. The torn and slabbed surface is rough, accentuating the particular grains of Iga clay, covered in a smattering of smokey charring and spattered ash. The vessel comes enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Iga Shinogi Mizusashi. It is 17.5 cm (7 inches) diameter, 20 cm (8 inches) tall and in perfect condition, directly from the artist this summer. It compliments perfectly the Chawan from the same firing.
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.

An eccentric crusty bowl, very different, by Hashimoto Tomonari enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Raku Yaki Yohen Chawan. Unlike his normal burnished and color ridden surfaces, this bowl is ominous, matte, shot through with pin-hole-textures and rivulets streaming from the rim. It is like something from deep within the universe, an ancient traveler which has been charred and scarred on its way through the atmosphere. Not only that but it is slightly deeper than his normal bowls, 10.5 cm (4 inches) to the rim, and misshapen, 10.5 to 11.5 cm ((4-4-1/2 inches) diameter, making it fit better in the hand. On a recent visit to the artist, after viewing a number of his newest bowls, I had to ask: Which one is your favorite? Without hesitation he went straight to this one.
Hashimoto Tomonari was born the son of a sculptor and has felt comfortable with the processes of creation since childhood. He graduated with a masters from the Kanazawa University of Art in March 2017, then relocated to Shigaraki. A visit to his humble home studio is eye opening. Although he comes across as shy in conversation, when you move on to the subject of art, he is all confidence. He was named a finalist for the Loewe Craft Prize in 2019 and is already making international waves around Asia. He is held in the collection of the V&A London and Los Angeles County Museums.

A large deep bowl decorated in abstract underglaze blue imagery by Shibata Ryozo enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Sometsuke Hachi and dating cica 1995. It is 28 cm (11 inches) diameter, 14 cm (5-1/2 inches) deep and in excellent condition.
Shibata Ryozo (b. 1952) completed advanced studies at the Kyoto Municipal University of Arts in 1978 (his work was purchased by the university the previous year for its permanent collection). In 1993 he first exhibited with the Nihon Dento Kogei Ten National Traditional Crafts Association, and in 94 was awarded at the Izushi Porcelain Trienial in Hyogo. After that he concentrated more on the Kansai area, and has been awarded at the Kyoto Bijutsu Kogeiten (97), Kyoto Kogei Bijutsu Sakka Kyokai Ten (98), Seto Sometsuke Exhibition (99) and Osaka Crafts Exhibition on multiple occasions. He has been a guest speaker at the University of Michigan in 2005, and artist in residence in Campbell Australia in 2006. Just this year his work was selected for exhibition in Boston at the Society of Arts and Crafts. In 2014 his work was collected by the Imperial household agency, and he is held in the collections of Kyoto City and Toyooka City Museums among others.

A prominent vessel in iconic silver and Mo-ai blue glaze by important Kyoto artist Morino Hiroaki (Taimei) enclosed in the original signed wooden box. The blue glaze is flat and matte, while the silver rises volcanic creating waves both visually and physically, expressed through texture, light and shadow. It is 25 x 14 x 17 cm (10 x 5-1/2 x 10-1/2 inches) and in perfect condition.
Morino 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.

Colorful ash rains in a torrent down the torn sides of this fabulous vase by Hayashi Shotaro enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Hai-yu Hanaire (ash glaze Vase). It is 13 cm (5 inches) diameter, 19 cm (7-1/2 inches) tall and in excellent condition.
Hayashi Shotaro (b. 1947) is one of the biggest names in contemporary Mino ceramics. Although initially entering reguar employment upon graduating highschool, in 1967 he returned to Toki city to help his brother Kotaro. Very quickly within him was born the urge to create. He won the highest award at the Gifu Prefectural Art Exhibition in 1968, and from there his talent blossomed. 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. At the Mino Ceramics Exhibition, in addition to the highest award, the Mino Ceramics Award, he has received all three major awards, including the Shoroku Award and the Kobei Award.

An exceptional sake cup by Living National Treasure Shimizu Uichi enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Ki Ho Rai Tai Sen Mon Hai. It is covered in his famous shattered-ice-like glaze with metallic drips circling the rim. It is 6 cm diameter (2-1/2 inches), 4 cm tall and in excellent condition, complete with the original Shiori and Shifuku.
Shimizu Uichi (1926-2004) was born in Kyoto the son of a ceramic dealer. Discarding the family business, he apprenticed in plastic arts under future Living National Treasure 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 many others.

A quintessential work showing the decorative aesthetic of Ichino Masahiko enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Senmon Tokkuri (Lined Vessel). Sunset colors fade to dark about the rim, vertical lines like shooting stars. It is 12 cm (5 inches) tall and in excellent condition, complete with the original Shiori and Shifuku .
The youngest winner ever at the 13th National Ceramic Exhibition (Nihon Togeiten), Ichino Hiroyuki is a powerhouse in Tamba, bringing that long forgotten corner of Japan’s ceramic realm back into the limelight. He was born in Sasayama, heart of Tamba, in 1961, and studied in Kyoto under Imai Masayuki, and under his father Ichino Shinsui. He established his own kiln in 1988, and in 1995 caught the worlds attention with his work “Kai” at the 13th Nihon Togeiten. In 99 his work was selected for the Japanese Ceramic Exhibition Tour sponsored by the Japan Foundation, and that was the first of many overseas exhibits featuring his work. In 2006 he received the JCS award (Japan Ceramic Society prize), one of the most coveted in Japan, and in 2009 received the grand prize at the Tanabe Museum Modern forms in Tea Exhibition. He is held in the collection of the V&A, New Orleans Museum of Art, Brooklyn Museum, Tanabe Museum and Japan Foundation among many others.

A large vase decorated with silver and gold orbs under blue by legendary female artist Ono Hakuko enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Yuri kin-gin sai Hana Tsubo. It is 34 cm (13-1/2 inches) tall, 29 cm (11-1/2 inches) diameter and in excellent condition, complete with Shiori and Shifuku.
From Aichi prefecture, Ono Hakuko was trained by her father initially in the ceramic arts. However, she was most strongly influenced by the great experimentive artist Kato Hajime (1901-1968) and his work with gold. This affected her own style deeply, and it can be said that she carried on his research. She was awarded the JCS award in 1980, one of Japans most prestigious ceramics awards. In 1992 she was named an important cultural asset (Juyo mukei bunkazai) of Saga prefecture. Bucking the traditional image here is another of Japans great cultural assets who fought against a system of prejudice to rise to the top and it is an honor to be able to offer something by her. For more on this important modern artist see Touch Fire, contemporary Japanese Ceramics by Women Artists (2009)

It is as if drifts of snow have piled up on the garden stones, leaving dark recesses filled with shadow in the low winter light, a fabulous Tsubo by Kimura Morinobu enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Kuroji Kakewake Hakuyu Tsubo. It is 26 cm (10-1/4 inches) tall, 25.5 cm (10 inches) diameter and in excellent condition. This is one style for which Morinobu is very well known and unique to him.
Kimura Morinobu (b. 1932) was one of three born into a pottery family in Kyotos Higashiyama pottery district. He attended the Kyoto Municipal School of Art graduating from the sculpture division, and entered the Kyoto Ceramic Research Facility, the stomping grounds of so many of the brightest talents in modern Japanese Pottery. After apprenticing under both his brother, Morikazu, and Living National Treasure Shimizu Uichi, he established his own kiln in 1967. His list of exhibitions is much too long to put down here, he was named an intangible Cultural Property (Mukei Bunkazai) of Kyoto Prefecture in 1992. Works by the artist are held in the Kyoto National Museum among others.

Dripping with gold, this artist really takes things to the extreme, challenging and yet incorporating something of the idea of Wabi into his outlandish works. Here is an exceptional (and rare) large tsubo by Ichikawa Toru enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It features a surface of raised white bumps like ray or sharkskin. The form is rough, more a natural growth than some plotted design. Brilliant gold flows over the textured white. It is quite overpowering, and would become central to any contemporary ceramic collection. The tsubo is 31 cm (12 inches) tall, 27 cm (10-1/2 inches) diameter and in excellent condition.
Ichikawa Toru was born in Tokyo in 1973. In 2015 he established his current studio in Bizen after 4 years of apprenticeship under another Bizen Outsider, Kakurezaki Ryuichi. He has since developed quite a following, with his shows selling out often within hours.

A deep tsutsu chawan by Omori Kenji in matte charcoal outside, soft, running pink within enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Yakishime Chawan. It is 10.5 cm (4 inches) diameter, 9-9.5 cm (3-1/2 -3-3/4 inhces) tall. As it does not have a foot ring, it is decidedly deep, perfect for a cold winter day, and the warm colors inside, combined with the steaming green tea, would be fabulous.
Omori Kenji was born in Saitama prefecture in 1982 In 2005 he graduated the Tokyo Zokei Daigaku Garden Design department, and followed up with two years at the Tajimi Technical institute Isshoken. He currently lives and works in Tajimi, concentrating on private exhibitions as his venue.

A beautiful example of the iconic Zogan inlayed clay work of Takeuchi Shingo enclosed in the original signed wooden box. The deep bowl swells in the midriff, closing at the rim to concentrate the aroma, with thin sides to allow the warmth to escape to the hands, a perfect bowl for winter tea. It is slightly elongated, 13 x 12 x 8.5 cm (5 x 4-3/4 x 3-1/2 inches) and is in excellent condition.
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 Museum, The Korean International Ceramics Foundation, Yingge Ceramics Museum Taiwan and others.

A ceramic free standing architectural sculpture by Morino Taimei (Hiroaki) enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Work 88-30 Kaiheki (Matte Blue). The naïve modeling and playful use of colors make for a fun and energetic visual. Works from this series are held in the Brooklyn Museum and Manyoan Collection among others. Stoneware on wood stand, the ceramic slab is 20 x 3 x 27 cm (8 x 1-1/2 x 10-1/2 inches) plus the wooden base and is in perfect condition. It comes wrapped in the original stamped cloth pouch with the artists shiori.
Morino 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 governor’s prize and others at the Gendai Kogei Ten (Modern National Crafts Exhibition). He was subsequently selected for display at the Kyoto and Tokyo Natby ional 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.

An iconic ash encrusted Iga Mizusashi by important artist Kanzaki Shiho enclosed in the original signed wooden box. Accented with soft blues and grays hidden among the heavy ash deposit. It comes with the original matching ceramic lid. The urn is 20 cm (8 inches) diameter, 19 cm 7-1/2 inches) tall and in excellent condition.
(Kanzaki Shiho (1942-2018) preferred firing his kiln for ten days, resulting in the rich textures and heavy ash deposits apparent on his work. He was born in Shigaraki, and was fast tracked into the Kansai University Law Department, but rather the life of a lawyer, after graduation he went with his heart to take up the precarious life of a potter, apprenticing under Mino artist Matsuyama Suketoshi. Later he returned to Shigaraki working there at the research center while developing his own style and methods with the Anagama. He consistently stayed with the personal world of private exhibitions, developing a large following both at home and abroad and his list of exhibitions is impressive. He has been the subject of several documentaries and Television interviews, and is widely published. For more information see, The Fire Artist, a documentary by Canadian Director Claude Gagnon. He unfortunately passed away last year and these may be the last pieces we have by him.

A seminal Karatsu fresh water container by master of that style Nakagawa Jinenbo enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Chossen Karatsu Mizusashi. Raw earth is supplanted with rich iron into which flows curtains of black into which flows rivulets of blue. Two lug handles drape from the sides and it retains the original ceramic lid. It is 16.5 cm (6-1/2 inches) diameter, 17.5 cm 7 inches) tall and in excellent condition.
Nakagawa Jinenbo (1953-2011) 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 skills, he went to Tanaka Sajiro for an additional apprenticeship. Afterwards, as many Chajin artists, he concentrated on private exhibitions as an outlet for his work, shunning the world of mass competition and retail. His life and career were cut short far too early, making his work both highly valued and hard to find.

A superb example of this traditional shape by Living National Treasure Isezaki Jun enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Bizen Mizusashi. Glaze seems to be worn and deteriorated from centuries of use on the dark earthen surface. It is 18.5 cm (7-1/2 inches) Diameter, 19 cm (7-5/8 inches) tall and in excellent condition.
Isezaki Jun was born the second son to the prominent Bizen family of Isezaki Yozan. With his older brother Mitsuru he studied the plastic arts under the fierce tutelage of his father. He has displayed consistently at the Nihon Dento Kogei Ten (National Japanese Crafts Exhibition) since 1961 and was recipient of the coveted Kaneshige Toyo prize. It was Jun who took up the work of Kaneshige Toyo upon his death, continuing to revitalize and innovate, combining functional forms and modern sculptural shapes. He was the teacher of a host of important artists including Kakurezaki Ryuichi, Wakimoto Hiroyuki and American artists Donna Gilliss among dozens of others. He was named a Living National Treasure (Juyo Mukei Bunkazai or Intangible cultural property) in 2004.

Gold nuggets gleam on the deep lavender and black surface of this organic form by Inayoshi Osamu enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Kurinuki Kinsai Mizusashi. Kinsai is literally gold color, and here the artist has embedded gold into the surface, allowing it to expand and bubble out in the heat of the firing process. The effect of this on the dark matt surface is both striking and original. Kurinuki is the technique of digging a form out of a block of clay, and once again here the artist has then textured the surface with stones. Inside is a striking liquid silver, quite something to see. It is 18cm (7-1/2 inches) diameter 19 cm (rouhly the same) height and in excellent condition, including the original shiori and Shifuku, directly from the artist this summer.
Inayoshi Osamu was born in Aichi prefecture, the heart of Mino country, in 1976. He completed his initial training in the plastic arts at the Seto Pottery School in 2002, garnering an award that same year at the 56th Seto City Art Exhibition. In 2007 he established his own kiln in Toyohashi, and was awarded at the 19th Heart of Oribe Pottery exhibition (again the following year). In 2008 he began to focus on the Atsumi pottery of the Heian and Kamakura periods, building up a unique repertoire. After several more domestic shows and prizes, he had his overseas debut in 2010, and has since received a great deal of attention both at home and abroad.

A fabulous large Mizusashi with a rugged, natural shape covered in cool blue and gray by Hagi icon Kaneta Masanao enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Hagi Hai-Kaburi Kurinuki Mizusashi. It is roughly 18.5 cm (7-1/4 inches) tall, 26.5 cm (10-1/2 inches) diameter and in excellent condition, complete with the artists shiori and shifuku.
Kaneta Masanao likely needs no introduction, certainly one of Hagi’s most well-known and easily identifiable names. Although an eighth-generation potter inheriting an overtly conservative tradition, he has transcended limitations, and was one of the first to begin carrying Hagi into the 21st century. His work evokes a distinct tension between both function and form, and technique and tradition. 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.

Gold gleams in subtle wisps on the rim, and silver shimmers through tarnished metal glaze on this dark vessel by by Sakata Jinnai enclosed in the original signed wood box titled Saishoku Mizusashi. An intriguing combination of glazes over a modernist form, enigmatic patterns like fletching cascade down the dark sides, and iridescent clouds glimmer subtly on the surface with tinges of blue showing through about the shoulder. Amazing when moving in the light, it is very difficult to capture this in photographs. It is 15 cm (5-3/4 inches) diameter, 18.5 cm (7-1/2 inches) tall and in excellent condition.
Sakata Jinnai was born in Tokyo in 1943, and began as an apprentice under the legendary Kamoda Shoji in 1964, establishing his first kiln in 1966. His work was selected for display at the Nihon Dento Kogei Shinsaku Ten (National Traditional New Crafts Exhibition) in 1969, and the following year the Nihon Dento Kogei Ten (National Traditional Crafts Exhibition). In 1971 his work could be seen at the first Nihon Togeiten National Ceramics Exhibition. This event would tour the United States and Canada as well. Two years later he would be seen there again, and this time the show would tour South America. In 1977 he would move away from the competitive world of mass exhibitions and focus more on private galleries. He was the first artist selected for display at the newly opened Takashimaya Gallery in New York in 1993. Work by him is held in the collection of the British Museum, Rockefeller Foundation, Sakuma Museum, Waseda Universty Museum, as well as some of Japans holiest sites such as Ise Shrine, Izumo Shrine, Takachiho Shrine, Yakushiji in Nara and both Kodaiji and Enryakuji Temples in Kyoto. Not limited to clay, he also works in painting, Washi hand made paper (from 1995), and glass (from 2000).

A fabulous wavering form accentuates the fissured ice-like glaze of celadon master Uraguchi Masayuki enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Seiji Kokusho Mizusashi. The black lacquered lid is like a dark pool in the middle of the flaring body. The sleek shape is very much his own, and the deeply crackled glazes he employs have been developed over a lifetime of experimentation. His success rate with pieces like this does not exceed 30 percent, making them quite rare and difficult to acquire. This is 22.5 cm (9 inches) diameter, 14 cm (5-1/2 inches) tall and in excellent condition.
Uraguchi Masayuki (b. 1964) discovered pottery while attending the Tokyo National University of Fine Art and Music and his world turned when he was introduced to a Song Dynasty Seiji Vase" at the Tokyo National Museum designated a National Treasure during one of his art courses. After graduation he met (and studied under) living National Treasure for celadon Miura Koheiji at the Tokyo University of Art. Inspired by the Southern Song celadons as well as the work of Japanese master ceramists Itaya Hazan and Okabe Mineo, Uraguchi spent years personally researching his own celadon glazes and clay bodies types. He finished his post graduate program in 1989, claiming a prize that same year at the National Traditional Arts and Crafts New Works Exhibition (Nihon Dento Kogei Shinsakuten). The following year he would b awarded at the Nitten National Exhibition. In 1991 he established his kiln in Tochigi prefecture. He has since received innumerable awards, including the Asahi Ceramic Art Exhibition, Japan Ceramic Art Exhibition (Nihon Togeiten) among many others. In 1995 he travelled to China to study first-hand the Song guan and Longquan ceramics. In 2001 he moved his Kiln to Hachigocho, Ibaraki Prefecture

A hard to find water jar of rough clay scored and scarred and covered in cream colored glaze splashed with red by Yamada Kazu enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Kaku-yu Oribe Mizusashi. This style is distinct to this artist, and easily recognizable as his work. It is 22 cm (8-1/2 inches) tall, 20.5 cm (8 inches) diameter and in excellent condition.
Yamada Kazu was born in Tokoname city in 1954, one of Japans ancient kiln areas, into a line of potters. He would have been influenced early on by his father, Yamada Kenkichi and uncle living National Treasure Yamada Jozan. He graduated the Osaka Art University before moving to Echizen to establish his first kiln. He was propelled to international fame after building an Anagama kiln in Germany in 1988. He has been displayed domestically at the Asahi Togeiten, Nihon Togeiten and Chunichi Kokusai Togeiten as well as a host of private exhibitions in prominent galleries and department stores, and his innovative forms and designs are in high demand.

Vibrant red glaze is dribbled randomly across the scored and scarred light glazed body of this magnificent Chawan by Yamada Kazu enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Kaku-yu Oribe Chawan. The form is slightly belted, to allow the bowl to settle comfortably into the palm. The very traditional silhouette however has been paddled and graffiti structures scratched into the surface. Over this has been applied an overall white glaze, with black and red ladled out on top of that. It is 12 x 13 x 8.5 cm (4-3/4 x 5 x 3-1/2 inches) and is in excellent condition. This is a prime example of the artist’s most popular style, and a great opportunity for the collector.
Yamada Kazu was born in Tokoname city in 1954, one of Japans ancient kiln areas, into a line of potters. He would have been influenced early on by his father, Yamada Kenkichi and uncle living National Treasure Yamada Jozan. He graduated the Osaka Art University before moving to Echizen to establish his first kiln. He was propelled to international fame after building an Anagama kiln in Germany in 1988. He has been displayed domestically at the Asahi Togeiten, Nihon Togeiten and Chunichi Kokusai Togeiten as well as a host of private exhibitions in prominent galleries and department stores , and his innovative forms and designs are in high demand.

Wow! This is quite a tsubo by revivalist Takahashi Shunsai enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Shigaraki Kama Hana Tsubo. A wack of ash blasts the shoulder over raw shiseki studded terracotta clay scorched the color of bricks. Fired on its side, opposite is charred and covered in molten ash where it had been buried in the embers. This is truly a classic Shigaraki work down to the belt of cross hatches at the shoulder and two stage mouth. It is 26 cm (10 inches) tall, roughly the same diameter and in excellent condition.
Born in 1927, the second son of renowned potter Takahashi Rakusai III in Shigaraki, Takahashi Shunsai left home to study under Taniguchi Ryosai in Kyoto before returning to Shigaraki to pursue his studies of Shigaraki styles specifically under his father and spent the better part of two decades working from that studio. He established his own kiln in 1968. He has been displayed at the Nitten, Nihon Dento Kogei Ten (National Traditional Crafts Exhibition), Nihon Togei ten (National Ceramics Exhibition), Asahi Ceramics Exhibition, as well as a long list of private exhibitions at Japan’s top galleries. He has been often prized as a master of Shigaraki, and has been designated a Shiga Prefectural Intangible Cultural Property (Living Treasure) in 1995. This is possibly more important than the Living National Treasure designation, imbued as that selection is with rank and politic. The Prefectural version is truly representative of one’s merits as an artist and achievement.

Frills, filigrees and draperies gather pell-mell near the peak of this evocative vessel by Kawabata Kentaro enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Loco. Consistent with this artists repertoire, the varying aspects are difficult to surmise in few words, raw clay, torn, cut, molded, squeezed and decorated with color in a variety of styles. It cocks its hip to one side, striking a sassy pose. A playful work to represent the eclectic style of this young man re-shaping the ceramic landscape, and serving as a pioneering representative of a younger generation. The vessel is 38 cm (15 inches) tall, 25 cm (10 inches) diameter. Imbued with a great deal of presence, it is in excellent condition.
Kawabata Kentaro was born in Saitama in 1976, and graduated the Ceramic Department of the Tokyo Designer Institute, which he followed up with two years at the Tajimi city Pottery Design　and Technical Center, graduating in 2000 with a BFA. He was immediately recognized the following year with Grand Prize at the Oribe-no-kokoro, Ceramic exhibition. Since his works have been accepted into the Asahi Togeiten ceramic Exhibition tending toward sculptural forms. He has also been exhibited in the US, Berlin, Turkey, Paris, Romania, Korea, Switzerland and many other international venues. He received the Judges Award in 2002 at the Mashiko Ceramic Exhibition and also the Kamoda Shoji Award there in 2004, and Grand Prize at the Paramita Museum Ceramic Exhibition in 2007.

Silver streaks the thickly potted blue sides of this large vase by important artist Morino (Hiroaki) Taimei enclosed in the original signed wooden box. The patterns drape over the rim, and rise from the base like seaweed dancing in the current below a wavy line at the shoulder, the blue glaze filled with floating paler bubbles. The vessel is 28 cm (11 inches) tall and in excellent condition.
Morino 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 governor’s prize and others at the Gendai Kogei Ten (Modern National Crafts Exhibition). He was subsequently selected for display at the Kyoto and Tokyo Natby ional 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.

An artist whose bold creations work well in a Western setting, here is a seminal piece decorated with huge white peony blossoms by Miyake Yoji enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Nuki-e Kinsai Botan Mon Henko. Here the artist has set the luscious white flowers and leaves outlined in gold on a ground of rusty yellow, an intriguing combination. It is 27 x 15 x 34 cm (10-1/2 x 6 x 13-1/2 inches) and is in excellent condition. It was exhibited at the 6th Japan Kogei Association Ceramics exhibition in 2007 and is published in the catalog (included).
Miyake Yoji was born in Shimane in 1950, He studied from 1974 under Ito Kosho, establishing himself as an independent artist three years later in Mashiko. In 1979 his work was accepted into the Dento Kogei Shinsaku Ten (New Exhibition of Traditional Crafts) and displayed there annually thereafter. In 1980 he was accepted into the Nihon Dento Kogei Ten (National Traditional Crafts Exhibition), and many times thereafter. Again the following year he was accepted into yet another major exhibition with the Nihon Togei Ten (All Japan Ceramic Exhibition), once again followed up with repeated acceptance there. Yet in the 90s he turned away from the competitive world and began to concentrate more on private exhibitions, of which he has been hosted many times in some of Japans most prestigious galleries. He was also the subject of an NHK Television Documentary in 1998 and appeared in another in 2000.

A lot of drama in this crispy glazed tsubo deeply scored by the artists fingers, the trailing divets filled with running ash glaze by Murakoshi Takuma, two deep punctures in the side where it sank into the kiln supports, and a large artist performed gold repair where it had adhered to the kiln floor. The gold glimmers from the darkest part of the vessel, where it was charred black from laying in the embers. The fingerlets of flowing ash all circle the body, seeming to point out the flaw, accentuating the character. So raw, it speaks of another world, untamed. It is 37 cm (14-1/2 inches) tall, 33 cm (13 inches) diameter and in excellent condition. It comes with a wooden placard signed by the artist and titled Yakishime Hakkin-sai Otsubo (Unglazed Lage Tsubo with Gold).
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.

An unusual large bottle-shaped vase by Morino Taimei enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It is fawn-speckled blue on black-mottled tarnished silver, a striking combination. The shape of the mouth he has taken from traditional Korean forms. The vessel is 27 cm (11 inches) tall and in excellent condition.
Morino 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 governor’s prize and others at the Gendai Kogei Ten (Modern National Crafts Exhibition). He was subsequently selected for display at the Kyoto and Tokyo Natby ional 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 hard to find Silver Mist Series Chawan by Kondo Takahiro, enigmatic sgraffito under twilight blue covered in droplets of silver dew enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It is 9 cm (3-3/4 inches) tall, 10.5 cm (4 inches) diameter and in excellent condition.
Kondo 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)

Rainbow colored Shino glaze burnt to a crispy finish covers this bamboo shaped vase by Hayashi Shotaro enclosed in the original signed wooden box. This is a perfect example of the daring route this artist took, propelling the popularity of Shino wares to new heights and inspiring many followers. The colors are fabulous, soft blues, pinks and greens. The gather together in rivulets framing the dark earth of the foot in the center of which is the artists signature. It is 23 cm (9 inches) tall and is in excellent condition.
Hayashi Shotaro (b. 1947) is one of the biggest names in contemporary Mino ceramics. Although initially entering regular employment upon graduating high school, in 1967 he returned to Toki city to help his brother Kotaro. Very quickly within him was born the urge to create. He won the highest award at the Gifu Prefectural Art Exhibition in 1968, and from there his talent blossomed. 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. At the Mino Ceramics Exhibition, in addition to the highest award, the Mino Ceramics Award, he has received all three major awards, including the Shoroku Award and the Kobei Award.

A breathtaking swirling platter by important contemporary Shino artist Hayashi Shotaro enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Manyosai Zuimaki Ita Shiho-zara (Four-sided Slab Dish with Myriad Leaves Color Tornado). This Manyosai glaze is the artists unique forte and one of many important additions he has made over the years to the world od Mino pottery. The thick slab is 40 x 32 cm (16 x 12-1/2 inches) and stands up to 10 cm (4 inches) tall; in excellent condition.
Hayashi Shotaro (b. 1947) is one of the biggest names in contemporary Mino ceramics. Although initially entering regular employment upon graduating high school, in 1967 he returned to Toki city to help his brother Kotaro. Very quickly within him was born the urge to create. He won the highest award at the Gifu Prefectural Art Exhibition in 1968, and from there his talent blossomed. 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. At the Mino Ceramics Exhibition, in addition to the highest award, the Mino Ceramics Award, he has received all three major awards, including the Shoroku Award and the Kobei Award.

This is a seminal work by the most legendary figure in Shino today, Hayashi Shotaro, in his signature Manyosai glaze with incredible color patterns enclosed in the original singed wooden box complete with wrapping cloth and name card (Shiori and Shifuku). It is huge at 53.5 x 10 x 24.5 cm (21 x 4 x 9-3/4 inches) and in perfect condition. Very Heavy!
Due to size the cost of shipping will be accrued separately.
Hayashi Shotaro (b. 1947) is one of the biggest names in contemporary Mino ceramics. Although initially entering regular employment upon graduating high school, in 1967 he returned to Toki city to help his brother Kotaro. Very quickly within him was born the urge to create. He won the highest award at the Gifu Prefectural Art Exhibition in 1968, and from there his talent blossomed. 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. At the Mino Ceramics Exhibition, in addition to the highest award, the Mino Ceramics Award, he has received all three major awards, including the Shoroku Award and the Kobei Award.

An artist whose bold creations work well in a Western setting, here is a seminal piece just in time for the season decorated with dark iron branches laden with silver blossoms by Miyake Yoji enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Ginsai Sakura Mon Henko. Here the artist has set the oxidized silver flowers and dark tree silhouettes on a ground of rusty yellow, an intriguing combination. It is 57.5 x 13 x 30.5 cm (23 x 5 x 12 inches) and is in excellent condition. This is a masterpiece, and at almost two feet long sure to garner a great deal of attention.
Due to size the cost of shipping will be accrued separately.
Miyake Yoji was born in Shimane in 1950, He studied from 1974 under Ito Kosho, establishing himself as an independent artist three years later in Mashiko. In 1979 his work was accepted into the Dento Kogei Shinsaku Ten (New Exhibition of Traditional Crafts) and displayed there annually thereafter. In 1980 he was accepted into the Nihon Dento Kogei Ten (National Traditional Crafts Exhibition), and many times thereafter. Again the following year he was accepted into yet another major exhibition with the Nihon Togei Ten (All Japan Ceramic Exhibition), once again followed up with repeated acceptance there. Yet in the 90s he turned away from the competitive world and began to concentrate more on private exhibitions, of which he has been hosted many times in some of Japans most prestigious galleries. He was also the subject of an NHK Television Documentary in 1998 and appeared in another in 2000.