Catalog (1101)

Vibrant yellow overfills this deep plate by Living National Treasure Tokuda Masahiko (Yasokichi III) enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It is 21cm (Just over 8 inches) diameters, 6.5cm (2-1/2 inches) tall and in perfect condition.
Tokuda Yasokichi III (Masahiko, 1933-2009) was born the first son of Tokuda Yasokichi II who had been adopted as a teenager into the Tokuda family. Masahiko graduated from the Kanazawa school of arts, and took up apprenticeship under his grandfather and father Yasokichi I & II. Well versed in orthodox Kutani design, he broke with tradition developing his own unique style titled Saiyu in the 1970s. By broadening his spectrum with this new style of Kutani ware he garnered considerable attention. In 1986, he was named a Bearer of Important Intangible Cultural Assets by Ishikawa Prefecture (local version of Living National Treasure) and a decade later was designated Living National Treasure in 1997 for his supremacy in the use of Kutani glazes. Yasokichi III, His works are held by the Polk Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art New York, The British Museum, the Victoria & Albert Museum, the Smithsonian, the Indianapolis Museum of Art and Kanazawa Contemporary Museum of Art among many others.

A beautifully formed vase by Living National Treasure Tokuda Yasokichi III enclosed in the original singed wooden box. A quintessential work by the artist, it is 20 cm (8 inches) tall, 16.5 cm (6-1/2 inches) diameter and in excellent condition.
Tokuda Yasokichi III (Masahiko, 1933-2009) was born the first son of Tokuda Yasokichi II who had been adopted as a teenager into the Tokuda family. Masahiko graduated from the Kanazawa school of arts, and took up apprenticeship under his grandfather and father Yasokichi I & II. Well versed in orthodox Kutani design, he broke with tradition developing his own unique style titled Saiyu in the 1970s. By broadening his spectrum with this new style of Kutani ware he garnered considerable attention. In 1986, he was named a Bearer of Important Intangible Cultural Assets by Ishikawa Prefecture (local version of Living National Treasure) and a decade later was designated Living National Treasure in 1997 for his supremacy in the use of Kutani glazes. Yasokichi III, His works are held by the Polk Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art New York, The British Museum, the Victoria & Albert Museum, the Smithsonian, the Indianapolis Museum of Art and Kanazawa Contemporary Museum of Art among many others.

An elegant form in rich color by Living National Treasure Tokuda Masahiko (Yasokichi III) enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It is 26 cm (10-1/2 inches) tall and in excellent condition.
Tokuda Masahiko (1933- 2009, Yasokichi III) was designated Living National Treasure in 1997 for his supremacy in the use of Sai-yu Kutani glazes. Yasokichi, born Masahiko, went a step further than many National Treasures by broadening his spectrum with a new style of Kutani ware. Masahiko graduated from the Kanazawa school of arts, and took up apprenticeship under his father Yasokichi II. His works are held by many private collections, as well as the Polk museum and Kanazawa Contemporary Museum of Art. The family name is now carried by his daughter, Junko, who now bears the title Tokuda Yasokichi IV.

A pair of eight sided Shino Yunomi Cups by Suzuki Osamu (Kura) enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Shino Yunomi. Each is decorated with triangles about the skirt, in red on white and in white on red. A striking combination, they are 7.5 cm (3 inches) tall, roughly the same diameter, and in excellent condition. A major retrospective will be held on the artist in Japan.
Suzuki Osamu was born in Gifu prefecture in 1934, and graduated the Tajimi Technical School ceramics division in 1953. (not to be confused with avant garde potter Suzuki Osamu of Kyoto Sodeisha fame) That same year he was awarded at the 6th Dento Kogeiten Traditional Crafts Exhibition. One of the great researchers, he spent many years excavating old kiln sites in an effort to re-invent Shino ware. In 1962 he was exhibited in Prague. And the next year took a prize at the Asahi Ceramic Exhibition. Very much lauded at this time, it culminated in 1969 when he received the JCS Gold award (Japan Ceramic Society), one of the highest honors for a Japanese potter. He would receive the JCS award again in 1982, and by that point be nurturing or inspiring a number of young potters aspiring to the forgotten ways of Shino ware. He was named a Living National Treasure in 1994 for his life-work. Work by him is held in a multitude of public collections throughout the world. For more see “Japanese Studio Crafts, Tradition and the Avant-Garde” (1995) by R. Faulkner.

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

A bowl deeply impressed with Jomon rope designs by Living National Treasure Shimaoka Tasuzo enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It is 7.5 (3 inches) tall, 13.5 cm (5-1/4 inches) diameter.
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.

Ash fills the embedded patterns on this Kiln-altered Tsutsu-gata bowl by Living National Treasure Shimaoka Tatsuzo enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Yohen Zogan Jomon Wan. Crisp black charring and the various depths of ash are 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 11 cm (4-1/2 inches) diameter, 10 cm (4 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.

There is no doubt about the superlative nature of the deep celadon glazes used by Living National Treasure Nakajima Hiroshi, and this vessel is no let down. A creamy blue crackling glaze covers this artful form which comes enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled simply Seiji Tsubo. It is 10-1/2 inches (26.5 cm) tall, 5-1/2 inches (14 cm) diameter and is in excellent condition.
Nakajima Hiroshi was born in Hiroshima in 1941. He became an independent potter in 1969 in Yano, Saga Prefecture, choosing to specialize in one of the most challenging fields of Celadon ware. That same year he was first accepted into the Nihon Dento Kogeiten National Traditional Crafts Exhibition, and in 1977 he would be awarded for the first time at that prestigious venue. In 1981 he was awarded the Prime Ministers prize in the Nishi Nihon Togeiten (West Japan Ceramic Exhibition). This was followed two years later by the most prestigious Japan Ceramics Society award in 1982 (He would be awarded their gold prize in 2006). In 1985 he would travel to China to study pottery and excavate at ancient kiln sites. He was named an intangible cultural asset of Saga prefecture in 1990. After many more he would finally be named a Living National Treasure (Mukei Bunkazai) in 2007, and received the 65th West Japan Order of Cultural Merit.

A spectacular Mizusashi fresh water container by Bizen Living National Treasure Kaneshige Toyo enclosed in a wooden box annotated by his son Kaneshige Kosuke titled Bizen Yahazuguchi Mizusashi. A fabulous range of colors plays across the surface, all natural kiln effects resulting from heat, cold, clay content and placement. The receptacle is 18 cm (7 inches) diameter, 16.5 cm (6-1/2 inches) tall and comes with a custom made black lacquer wooden lid.
Kaneshige Toyo (1896-1967) is one of the leaders of the group of artisans who sought to revive the tradition as it was flagging to extinction in the pre-war years and considered one of the most important figures in 20th century Bizen. It is Toyo who has been credited with having rediscovered the techniques of the Azuchi Momoyama period. Born in Bizen, Okayama prefecture, into the potting family of artisan Kaneshige Baiyo, Toyo began working with clay in 1910. By the 1930’s, he was thoroughly ensconced in the research of ancient techniques. Over the next 20 years, he was to become a leading figure in Japanese pottery, and lifelong friend of Kawakita Handeishi, Kitaoji Rosanjin and Miwa Kyuwa. Post-war, in an effort to elevate Japanese pottery, he, along with Arakawa Toyozo and Kato Tokuro, helped to establish the Nihon Kogei kai (Japan Art Crafts Association). He was designated Living National Treasure in 1956, and subsequently received the Order of Cultural Merit from Okayama for his lifework. For more see the new important tome by the Miho Museum: The Bizen (2019) according to which “He formed the Bizen Pottery Society, mentored the younger generation, participated in the founding of the Japan Kogei Association and built the foundations for the postwar success of Bizen ware”.

Red drips slide down the dark Tenmoku glaze on this small Tsutsu-chawan tea bowl by Living National Treasure Ishiguro Munemaro enclosed in a wooden box signed by his student and future Living National Treasure Shimizu Uichi titled Ishiguro Munemaro Saku Tenmoku-yu Samon Chawan. It is 10 cm (4 inches) diameter, 9 cm (3-1/2 inches) tall and in excellent condition. Ishiguro Munemaro (1893-1968) was born into a wealthy family in Toyama, and spent his childhood surrounded by precious Chinese ceramics in the collection of his father. Like many well born gentlemen of his time, he served in the Military, stationed in Korea until 1916. Upon returning to Japan, he took to the study of Chinese language and ceramics as a connoisseur. Shortly after he began potting, moving to Kyoto, establishing a studio in the mountain village of Yase Northeast of the city. His association with Koyama Fujio brought him into influential circles. He dedicated himself to the re-discovery and perfection of ancient glaze techniques, developing hundreds of glazes over his lifetime. He was designated one of the first Living National Treasures in 1955. Works by him reside in the permanent collections of the Aichi Prefectural Ceramic Museum; Musée National de Ceramique, Sèvres, France; Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; National Museums of Modern Art, Kyoto and Tokyo.

A wonderful early work by Hara Kiyoshi awarded at the 1962 Nihon Dento Kogeiten Traditional Crafts Exhibition enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Ume-mon Hachi (Plum Patterned Basin). It is covered in a foamy blue-white glaze, the body sculpted like the five petals of a plum blossom. The dish is 43.5 cm (17 inches) diameter and is in excellent condition. It comes with the original catalog (published on page 1) as well as the original gold award label. This is a very rare opportunity to acquire a piece with all of its provenance from Japan. It is also an opportunity to see a piece, not by a Living National Treasure, but a piece recognized by an artist which gives reason why he would be designated a Living National Treasure. A part of ceramic history.
Hara Kiyoshi (b. 1936) was born in Shimane, and studied pottery under Living National Treasures Ishiguro Munemaru and Shimizu Uichi from 1954 before establishing his own kiln, first in Tokyo, then later in Saitama. He was first selected for exhibit at the National Traditional Crafts Exhibition in 1958. In 63 he first exhibited at the Asahi Togeiten Ceramics Exhibition. Since his work has received much attention,both within Japan and abroad in Europe, The Americas and Asia. He received the Japan Ceramic Society prize in 1975, and was named a Living National Treasure for Tetsu-yu in 2005 and is recipient of the Order of the Rising Sun.

A most unusual tea bowl charred black on one side which emenates a golden glow on the raw earth opposite, by Bizen living national Treasure Yamamoto Toshu enclosed in the original signed double wood storage box titled Bizen Yohen Chawan (Kiln Altered Tea bowl) with silk wrapping cloth. The beauty of kiln altered works is that they are quite often entirely unique. Something unexpected that occurred inside the kiln during the firing or cooling process, that caused a deviation from the norm or expected result. Yohen is in fact a bit unusual in Bizen ware, and I have never seen another like this particular bowl, with its shimmering golden reflection. Unfortunately the ephemeral effect is very difficult to capture on the camera. It is 5 inches (13 cm) diameter, and in excellent condition.
Yamamoto Toshu (1906-1994) began working in a pottery at the age of 15. 12 years later (1933) he went independent, but interestingly decided to train again later not under a Bizen master, but Kusube Yaichi, perhaps stimulating his unusual eye for Bizen. After much acclaim, it was in 1959 that he made his worldwide appearance, with a gold prize at the Brussels World Exposition, and was named an important cultural property of Okayama that same year. He was most in love with the wheel, and his forms are crisp and sharp. He was named a living national Treasure in 1987. Works by the artist are held in the National Museum of Modern Art Tokyo and National Museum of Modern Art Kyoto as well as the Victoria Albert Museum among many others. For more on this important artist sea the recent exhibition: The Bizen, at the Miho Museum in Shiga prefecture, in which a number of this artists’ works were featured.

An exquisite vessel by Bizen legend Yamamoto Toshu enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Bizen Meipin. The form is perfection, covered with a dusting of ash revealing a flame colored eye on one side, everything about the proportions timeless. This is a piece I could wax on for hours about, but will leave that up to the viewer. It is 8 inches (20.5 cm) tall and in perfect condition.
Yamamoto Toshu (1906-1994) began working in a pottery at the age of 15. 12 years later (1933) he went independent, but interestingly decided to train again later not under a Bizen master, but Kusube Yaichi, perhaps stimulating his unusual eye for Bizen. After much acclaim, it was in 1959 that he made his worldwide appearance, with a gold prize at the Brussels World Exposition, and was named an important cultural property of Okayama that same year. He was most in love with the wheel, and his forms are crisp and sharp. He was named a living national Treasure in 1987. Works by the artist are held in the National Museum of Modern Art Tokyo and National Museum of Modern Art Kyoto as well as the Victoria Albert Museum among many others.

A fabulous thin walled Bizen basin made for use as a fresh water container for the Japanese Tea Ceremony with black lacquered wooden lid enclosed in the original signed wooden box by Living National Treasure Yamamoto Toshu. This burnished style reminiscent of sangiri techniques is the signature work of this important Bizen artist. Here a plethora of colors vie for dominance on the ordinarily sedate brown clay. It is 22 cm diameter, 13 cm tall and in excellent condition.
For more on this important artist sea the recent exhibition: The Bizen, at the Miho Museum in Shiga prefecture, in which a number of this artists’ works were featured. Yamamoto Toshu (1906-1994) began working in a pottery at the age of 15. 12 years later (1933) he went independent, but interestingly decided to train again later not under a Bizen master, but Kusube Yaichi, perhaps stimulating his unusual eye for Bizen. After much acclaim, it was in 1959 that he made his worldwide appearance, with a gold prize at the Brussels World Exposition, and was named an important cultural property of Okayama that same year. He was most in love with the wheel, and his forms are crisp and sharp. He was named a living national Treasure in 1987. Works by the artist are held in the National Museum of Modern Art Tokyo and National Museum of Modern Art Kyoto as well as the Victoria Albert Museum among many others.

A globular vase covered in the trademark sansai glazes of Ningenkokuho Tokuda Yasokichi III (Masahiko) enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled simply Tsubo. The vase is 6 inches (16 cm) diameter and in excellent condition. Designated Living National Treasure in 1997 for his supremacy in the use of Kutani glazes, Yasokichi, born Masahiko, has gone a step further than many National Treasures by broadening his spectrum with a new style of Kutani ware. Masahiko graduated from the Kanazawa school of arts, and took up apprenticeship under his father Yasokichi II. His works are held by many private collections, as well as the Polk Museum and Kanazawa Contemporary Museum of Art.

An unusual tall bottle form vase by Tokuda Masahiko (Tokkuda Yasokichi III) enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It is 31.5 cm (12 inches) tall and in excellent condition, the spiraling neck in blue fading through yellow to deep aubergine. It is signed on the base Kutani Masahiko.
Tokuda Masahiko (Yasokichi III) was designated Living National Treasure in 1997 for his supremacy in the use of Kutani glazes, Yasokichi, born Masahiko, has gone a step further than many National Treasures by broadening his spectrum with a new style of Kutani ware. Masahiko graduated from the Kanazawa school of arts, and took up apprenticeship under his father Yasokichi II. His works are held by many private collections, as well as the Polk museum and Kanazawa Contemporary Museum of Art.

A Fabulous bowl by Living National Treasure Shimizu Uichi enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Seiji Deisai Chawan. The small bowl is Tabi-chawan size, made to be transportable for a picnic or some event. It is 10 cm (4 inches) diameter, 7.5 cm (3 inches) tall and in excellent condition.
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.

Simple arcs of bent-grass in iron decorate this large bowl by living National Treasure Shimizu Uichi enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Tetsu-e Chawan. It is 14.8 cm (6 inches) diameter, 8 cm (3 inches) tall and in excellent condition. It comes with a clipping from a newspaper announcing the naming of Uichi as Living National Treasure in 1985.
Shimizu Uichi (1926-2004) was born in Kyoto the son of a ceramic dealer. Discarding the family business he apprenticed in plastic arts under Ishiguro Munemaro. His work retains some principal elements of his teachers style while incorporating an understated elegance and avant-garde spirit of challenge uncommon for his time. He was first exhibited at the Nitten in 1951, receiving numerous awards there since. He also took the gold medal at the Prague International Exhibition, and was at the Brussels World Exposition. He is in the collection of the Tokyo National Museum, Kyoto Museum of Modern art, Clark Center and the Freer Gallery among others.

Faint crackling permeates the vibrant green glaze on this sake flask by Living National Treasure Nakajima Hiroshi enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled simply Tokkuri. It is 12.5 cm tall, and in excellent condition.
Nakajima Hiroshi (1941-2018) was born in Hiroshima, and established himself as an independent potter Yano, Saga Prefecture in 1969, choosing to specialize in the challenging field of Celadon ware. That same year he was first accepted into the Nihon Dento Kogeiten National Traditional Crafts Exhibition, and in 1977 he would be awarded for the first time at that prestigious venue. In 1981 he was awarded the Prime Ministers prize in the Nishi Nihon Togeiten (West Japan Ceramic Exhibition). This was followed two years later by the most prestigious Japan Ceramics Society award in 1982 (He would be awarded their gold prize in 2006). In 1985 he would travel to China to study pottery and excavate at ancient kiln sites. He was named an intangible cultural asset of Saga prefecture in 1990. After many more he would finally be named a Living National Treasure (Mukei Bunkazai) in 2007, and received the 65th West Japan Order of Cultural Merit.

Mottled clay in lively matt colors blends on this square bottle by Living National Treasure Matsui Kosei enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Fuhakuji Henko. It is 12 x 15 x 13 cm (4-3/4 x 6 x 5-1/4 inches) and in excellent condition.

An exquisite vessel of pure white carved with ripples by Living National Treasure (Ningen Kokuho) Maeta Akihiro enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Seihakuji Chomon Henko. It is 27 cm (10-1/2 inches) tall and in excellent condition.
Maeta Akihiro was born in Tottori city in 1954, graduating the Osaka University of Art in 1977. He has exhibited at and been awarded at the National Ceramic Art Exhibition (Nihon Togeiten) the 1993 Shin-Takumi Kogeiten New Crafts Person Exhibition, National Traditional Crafts Exhibition (Nihon Dento Kogeiten) as well as grand prize at the 20th influential Chanoyu no Zokei Modern Forms in Tea exhibition held at the Tanabe Museum. In 1999 his work was selected for exhibition in Paris. That same year he was awarded the order of cultural Merit by his home of Tottori. In 2004 he received the important JCS award (Nihon Tojikyokai-sho). In 2007 he was recipient of the Shijuhosho Imperial award with purple ribbon. In 2010 he was Order of the was awarded the order of cultural Merit by his home of Tottori Prefecture, and was named an important cultural property of the prefecture the following year. In 2013 he was named a Living National Treasure (Juyo Mukei Bunkazai) for Hakuji porcelain. His work is held in the collections of a great many public institutions including the Imperial Household Collection, Tokyo National Museum of Modern Art, MOA Museum, Tanabe Museum and overseas the British Museum, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Auckland Museum, Indianapolis Museum, Philadelphia Museum, and Everson Museum of Art among many others.

A 12 sided bottle decorated with pomegranate by Living National Treasure Kondo Yuzo enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Zakuro Sometsuke Hyo-gata Bin (Gourd Shaped Blue and White Bottle with Pomegranate design). It is 21 cm (8-1/4 inches) tall and in excellent condition.
Kondo Yuzo (1902-1985) was born in the Gojozaka district of Kyoto and studied alongside Kawai Kanjiro and Hamada Shoji at the Kyoto Ceramics Research facility, where he studied kiln technique directly under Shoji. He then apprenticed under recently returned Tomimoto Kenkichi for three years before establishing himself as a unique artist in the Kiyomizu district of Kyoto in 1924. He served as a professor at the Kyoto University of Art where he helped shape generations of potters. After an illustrious career he was named a Living National Treasure for Sometsuke Porcelain in 1977. Works by the artist are held in the collection of the LACMA, Cleveland and Brooklyn Museums of Art, Kyoto Municipal and Tokyo National Museums of Modern Art among many others.

The poetry of the ancient Chinese monke Hanshan spills over like blue rain down the sides of this porcelain vase by Living National Treasure Kondo Yuzo enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Kanzan-shi Sometsuke Kabin (Vase with blue and White Design of Cold Mountain Poem). It is 25.5 cm (10 inches) tall and in excellent condition. The poem reads:
On Cold Mountain, only white clouds come,
Don't accept the dust of the mundane world.
Our house has only a simple stool,
The full moon shines brightly over the mountain.
You can see the light blue pond from the window of the stone bed,
Deer and tigers often come to the pond.
Naturally, I came to aspire to a quiet life like this,
On Cold Mountain, a life away from the mundane world…
Kondo Yuzo (1902-1985) was born in the Gojozaka district of Kyoto and studied alongside Kawai Kanjiro and Hamada Shoji at the Kyoto Ceramics Research facility, where he studied kiln technique directly under Shoji. He then apprenticed under recently returned Tomimoto Kenkichi for three years before establishing himself as a unique artist in the Kiyomizu district of Kyoto in 1924. He served as a professor at the Kyoto University of Art where he helped shape generations of potters. After an illustrious career he was named a Living National Treasure for Sometsuke Porcelain in 1977. Works by the artist are held in the collection of the LACMA, Cleveland and Brooklyn Museums of Art, Kyoto Municipal and Tokyo National Museums of Modern Art among many others. According to Jaanus, Hanshan Shide, known in Japan as Kanzan, was a semi-legendary Tang dynasty, Zen (Chan) eccentric who is frequently depicted in Chinese and Japanese ink painting. Kanzan (lit. cold mountain) is thought to have lived as a poet-recluse near Mt. Tiantai (Jp:Tendai) in Zhejiang. The little that is known of his biography is provided in the preface to a collection of Kanzan's poetry, Kanzanshi Shishuu.

Thick white feldspathic glaze tinged with flickers of color covers this sake flask by Kato Kozo enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Shino Tokkuri. It is 13.3 cm (just over 5 inches) tall and in excellent condition.
Kato Kozo was born in 1935, and studied under the Mino Legend and Designated Living National Treasure Arakawa Toyozo. He has been widely exhibited both domestically and abroad and like his mentor Kozo was named a Living National Treasure in 2010, a tribute to a life spent reviving and defending the Mino traditions. Work by him is held in the National Museums of Modern Art, both Tokyo and Kyoto as well as the Victoria & Albert Museum among others

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

A charred sake flask turned on a wheel then paddled flat by Isezaki Jun enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Bizen Tokkuri. It is 12 cm (5 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.

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.

A signature work decorated with finger twirls of poured glaze over the pale-colored sides of this bottle form by Hamada Shoji enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Monda Kakubin dating from the 1960s. It is 4 inches (10 cm) square, 9-1/2 inches (24 cm) tall and in excellent condition. What appear in the photographs to be at first glance three chips in the edge are in fact crawling in the glaze, see the last close-up for details.
Hamada Shoji (1894-1978) was born in Tokyo, and enrolled in the Tokyo Technical University at the age of 19. In 1918 he met the important British potter Bernard Leach, and the history of ceramic arts was forever changed. One of the most influential and sought after of all Japanese Ceramic artists. There is no shortage of reading material for those who would like to learn more about this potter.

An architectural sculpture in glistening gold lacquer and mother of Pearl by Okada Yuji exhibited at the 30th Gendai Kogeiten National Modern Crafts Exhibition in 1991. This certainly shows the challenging spirit of this versatile artist, and defines his works from the mid 80s to mid 90s which were replete with inlays and gleaming with gold. The center are acrylic panels carved with enigmatic patterns, leaving the viewer to question, from what distant society or alien world the item hails. Light passing through the transparent core causes captivating splays of color. It is 4 x 47 x 13 cm and in excellent condition, accompanied by a signed and titled wooden placard directly from the artist.
Okada Yuji was born in Kyoto in 1948 and graduated with honors from the Kyoto Hiyoshi-ga-oka High School Lacquer Course, Receiving top prize for his graduation project. In 1969 he apprenticed under Ito Hiroshi, and the following year was accepted into the Kyoten (Kyoto Prefectural Art Exhibition) as well as the Kyoto Kogei Bijutsu Sakka Kyokai exhibition (Kyoto Kogei Association of artists) where he would be awarded. This begins his solo career. In 1972 he establishes himself as an independent artist, and his work is accepted into the Nitten National Exhibition. In 1973 he is accepted into the Nihon Gendai Kogeiten (Modern Crafts Exhibition). He would subsequently exhibit regularly with the above mentioned Nitten, Nihon Gendai Kogeiten, Kyoten, Kyoto Kogei Bijutsu Sakka Kyokai and later at the Urushi no Bi-ten (Nihon Shikko Kyokai Japanese Lacquer Association) exhibitions as well as solo and group shows, receiving many awards over the years. Later serving as a judge at several of these events. Throughout the 70s and early 80s he would receive numerous awards. In 1985 he took a professorship at the Dohda Art School. 1996 he enters a new phase, having become well known for restoration of lacquer arts, he begins to actively promote restoration work in addition to creating his own artwork. He would go on to restore over 3500 works of lacquer art before 2022. In 1999 he exhibits three Dry-Lacquer works at the New York Art Festival. This is a turning point in his career, when he begins debuting his latest works overseas in Germany, England and America. He retires from the Kyoto City Dohda Art School in 2003 and establishes a lacquer research center in the Ninenzaka area of Eastern Kyoto. In 2006 he opens the Lacquer Studio Shiun to pass on skills to a younger generation and becomes a member of the International Council of Museums Committee for Conservation. Post 2008 he concentrated on sharing his knowledge and technique with students and on the promotion of lacquer art through symposiums and events around the globe while at the same time continued to research into the techniques and restoration of lacquer artworks. Work by the artist is held in the collections of: the Minneapolis Institute of Art, Denver Art Museum, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Metropolitan Museum of Fine Arts New York, New Orleans Museum of Fine Arts, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Kiyomizu Sannenzaka Museum and Shanghai Art Museum among many others.

Bright blue brushstrokes dance over the pale glazed surface of this sake server by Shigemori Yoko enclosed in a signed wooden box titled Shuchu. It has been dipped several times in different colored glazes, with what appears to be a wash of ink wavering like a ghost around the rim and spout. This is a bridge between two of her styles, and unusual work which will make a nice conversation starter as you share a drink. It is 10 x 13 x 10 cm (4 x 5 x 4 inches) and in excellent condition, enclosed in a wooden box signed by her brother. It goes very well with the sake cup pictured.
Shigemori Yoko (1953-2021) was born in Kagoshima. Yoko came to Kyoto where she initially studied painting at the Kyoto Tankidai Art College, then moved to ceramics at the Kyoto Municipal Art University where she studied traditional pottery techniques under Kondo Yutaka before entering advanced courses under Yagi Kazuo, graduating in 1979. Her first solo exhibitions were held while still a student, at Gallery Iteza in Kyoto. She eschewed the world of competitive exhibitions in favor of the intimacy of private galleries, and her list of solo exhibitions is expansive. She received the Yagi Kazuo prize in 1986 and 1988 at the Nihon Gendai Togeiten. She was one of five artists featured in Toh, volume 76, The first issue dedicated to Kyoto Potters. Toh was at the time the most in depth survey of important contemporary potters published in 1993. Her work is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

Random patterns in translucent blue over pale earth tones decorate this lidded cube by Shigemori Yoko enclosed in a compartmentalized signed wooden box titled Tanshoku Jikiro (Soft color Ceramic Box). It is roughly 14 x 14 x 12.5 cm (5-1/2 x 5-1/2 x 5 inches) and is in excellent condition, in a box signed by her nephew. Shigemori Yoko (1953-2021) was born in Kagoshima. Yoko came to Kyoto where she initially studied painting at the Kyoto Tankidai Art College, then moved to ceramics at the Kyoto Municipal Art University where she studied traditional pottery techniques under Kondo Yutaka before entering advanced courses under Yagi Kazuo, graduating in 1979. Her first solo exhibitions were held while still a student, at Gallery Iteza in Kyoto. She eschewed the world of competitive exhibitions in favor of the intimacy of private galleries, and her list of solo exhibitions is expansive. She received the Yagi Kazuo prize in 1986 and 1988 at the Nihon Gendai Togeiten. She was one of five artists featured in Toh, volume 76, The first issue dedicated to Kyoto Potters. Toh was at the time the most in depth survey of important contemporary potters published in 1993. Her work is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

This is an amazing work of art, a quashed flaring bucket form covered in hi-iro flame color and natural ash glaze with large silver repairs by Shigaraki legend Tsuji Seimei enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Yohen Mizusashi. Fired on its side, the piece has warped slightly in the conflagration, flying ash and embers settling on the inside opposite where it has adhered to the kiln floor, apparent as a large kutsuki above a large silver repair. Where it has gone oblong, the artist has filled lightning cracks with silver. Complimenting it, the custom made black lacquered wooden lid has also silver repairs looping along the edges. Incredibly pleasing to behold, it is 25.5 x 20 x 19 cm (10 x 8 x 7-1/2 inches and is in excellent condition.
Tsuji Seimei (1927-2008) was born the son of an antique dealer in Tokyo in 1927. He was a childhood prodigy, and had acquired a reputation before leaving school, allowing him to meet many of the great artists of his day. In 1941 he established a studio with his sister. In 1955 he built his own studio in Tama City, choosing Shigaraki as his medium, he fired prodigiously. He married Tsuji Kyo, also a potter, and together they formed a team which helped define the blending of post-war traditional and non-functional ceramics.

An austere bottle glazed in rich green copper by the highly acclaimed Okabe Mineo enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Oribe Ichirin Sashi. It is 21 cm (8-1/2 inches) tall 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.

A crumpled news print from the New York Times dated 82-5 by pioneering Ceramic Sculpture Icon Mishima Kimiyo enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It is 25 x 14 x 13.5 cm (10 x 5-1/2 x 5-1/2 inches) and is in excellent condition.
Mishima Kimiyo was born in Osaka in 1932, and began her artistic career as a painter in the early 1960s. She started making collages with newspapers, discarded waste papers from printing companies, and old movie posters. As the materials she used for her collages accumulated in her studio, she came upon the idea to make her iconic newspaper-shaped ceramics. She said, "I thought that if I changed the newspaper's paper into ceramics, it might express a sense of impending crisis or instability regarding 'information'." She was awarded the Ja@an Ceramics Society Gold Award in 2021, testament to her contributions and to the progressive nature of the JCS. The list of institutions holding her work is formidable and includes the National Museum of Modern Art in Kyoto, the Kyoto Municipal Museum of Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in Tokyo, Musee Cernoschi, Paris, the Museum of Faenza in Italy, the Ariana Museum in Geneve, the Keramion Museum for Contemporary Ceramic Art in Germany, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, the Everson Museum of Art in New York, the Ohara Museum of Art, Okayama, the Shigaraki Ceramic Cultural Park, the Gifu Prefectural Contemporary Ceramic Museum of Art and Benesse Art Site on Naoshima among many others.

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

The playful form of this pottery work by the ever lively Yangaihara Mutsuo seems to be overfull with joy, weeping out from the bottom to form a puddle below. It is enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Kuro Oribe Choko and dated 1992. The vessel is 39 cm (16 inches) tall, 19 x 17 cm (7-1/2 x 7 inches) across the base and in excellent condition. This is a rare opportunity for one of the more greatly collected artists of recent years.
Yanigahara Mutsuo (b.1934) was raised in Seto, and studied in Kyoto along with contemporary Morino Taimei with whom he maintained a lifelong friendship. His work is largely sculptural, and his choice of colors is his reflection on the decadence of Japanese society. A list of exhibitions and awards would be much too long but includes the Japan Ceramics Society Gold prize in 2002. Listed as one of the most influential potters of the 20th century in the Japanese ceramics magazine Honoho Geijutsu, he is held in the Museum of Modern Art, both Tokyo and Kyoto (MOMAT, MOMAK), The National Museum of Art, Osaka, V&A, Great Victoria Art Gallery, Portland and any number of other prominent public and private collections throughout the world. For more see Japanese Studio Crafts, Tradition and the Avant Garde by Rupert Faulkner. According to the V&A his “work is striking for its blend of dynamism, colour and wit. A leading figure among Kyoto artists, Yanagihara has taught at Osaka University of Arts since 1968. Yanagihara's application of brightly coloured abstract motifs to vessel forms with anatomical, sometime sexually explicit features - a combination with which he first experimented in the late 1960s and early 1970s - has been a characteristic of his work for the past fifteen years. As in the case of Morino Taimei, a close friend and exact contemporary at Kyoto City University of Arts in the late 1950s, Yanagihara has been considerably influenced by the experiences he gained during two periods of teaching in the United States in 1966-8 and 1972-4. His use of gold and silver - a wry comment, he has explained, on the decaying values of contemporary society and the corruption of Japan's political system - echoes the extravagant style of certain North American artists.”