Catalog: Artists (1006)

An undulating ceramic sculpture of overlapping layers reminiscent of a scholar stone by Yamaguchi Mio titled Wakuraba. Wakuraba is a word from the Manyoshu, it implies a leaf which has changed color due to age or insects (like a late summer leaf yellowing in comparison to leaves around it) or on a completely different level can mean to suddenly and unexpectedly meet. It is roughly 38 cm (15 inches) diameter, 83 cm (32-1/2 inches) tall and is in excellent condition, directly from the artist. This piece was runner up for top prize at the Kasama Ceramic Triennale.
Due to size the cost of shipping will be accrued separately.
Yamaguchi Mio was born in Aichi prefecture in 1992, and graduated advanced studies at the Aichi University of Education in 2017. While still at university, her works were selected for show at the JoryuTogei Ten Female Ceramic Artist Association Exhibition (2014). In 2016 she was awarded at the 3rd Kogei in Kanazawa Competition, Grand Prize at the Ceramic Art in the Present Tense Exhibition at the Hagi Uragami Museum as well received the governors prize at the 5oth Female Ceramic Artist Association Exhibition. In 2017 she was selected for the 11International Ceramics Competition in Mino. She took a job as a teacher, but could not fight the need to create, so enrolled in the Tajimi City Ceramics research facility, graduating in2020. Her work is currently on view in the Chicago Institute of Arts, and was featured on the cover of the catalog for that exhibition, Radical Clay.
According to Mio: I feel that my fascination towards the natural world’s use of repetition, in bee hives and on the surface of corals, appears in my work as I consume and absorb the world around me. I like to believe that these works are natural forms made by my own hands. When I mold clay, I have a sensation that my body and consciousness blends and binds with the material and the natural world. The process of building upon each coil and applying each fold one by one with my hands is a form of meditation. Through this repetitive process I want to be able to convey my thoughts at the time in the texture, such as my struggle of swaying between the desires to live freely and falling under the pressure from societal expectations. It calms me down to observe the fingerprints left in the surface and see the traces of my existence in the clay. These works are products of what I have absorbed around me.

The last work by this important artist, a five piece stacking box decorated in iconic Dragonflies by Okada Yuji enclosed in a custom made wooden storage box. This piece was completed in 2022, shortly before he passed away. The dragonflies are performed in colored lacquer and gold powder with carved and polished Yellow and White Oyster-shell eyes. They fly over a swirling sea of Mother of Peral flakes. Inside is all Nashiji powdered gold. The boxes (stacked) are 23 x 23 x 39 cm (9 x 9 x 15-1/2 inches) and the set is in perfect condition.
Okada Yuji was born in Kyoto in 1948 and graduated with honors from the Kyoto Hiyoshi-ga-oka High School Lacquer Course, Receiving top prize for his graduation project. In 1969 he apprenticed under Ito Hiroshi, and the following year was accepted into the Kyoten (Kyoto Prefectural Art Exhibition) as well as the Kyoto Kogei Bijutsu Sakka Kyokai exhibition (Kyoto Kogei Association of artists) where he would be awarded. This begins his solo career. In 1972 he establishes himself as an independent artist, and his work is accepted into the Nitten National Exhibition. In 1973 he is accepted into the Nihon Gendai Kogeiten (Modern Crafts Exhibition). He would subsequently exhibit regularly with the above mentioned Nitten, Nihon Gendai Kogeiten, Kyoten, Kyoto Kogei Bijutsu Sakka Kyokai and later at the Urushi no Bi-ten (Nihon Shikko Kyokai Japanese Lacquer Association) exhibitions as well as solo and group shows, receiving many awards over the years. Later serving as a judge at several of these events. Throughout the 70s and early 80s he would receive numerous awards. In 1985 he took a professorship at the Dohda Art School. 1996 he enters a new phase, having become well known for restoration of lacquer arts, he begins to actively promote restoration work in addition to creating his own artwork. He would go on to restore over 3500 works of lacquer art before 2022. In 1999 he exhibits three Dry-Lacquer works at the New York Art Festival. This is a turning point in his career, when he begins debuting his latest works overseas in Germany, England and America. He retires from the Kyoto City Dohda Art School in 2003 and establishes a lacquer research center in the Ninenzaka area of Eastern Kyoto. In 2006 he opens the Lacquer Studio Shiun to pass on skills to a younger generation and becomes a member of the International Council of Museums Committee for Conservation. Post 2008 he concentrated on sharing his knowledge and technique with students and on the promotion of lacquer art through symposiums and events around the globe while at the same time continued to research into the techniques and restoration of lacquer artworks. Work by the artist is held in the collections of: the Minneapolis Institute of Art, Denver Art Museum, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Metropolitan Museum of Fine Arts New York, New Orleans Museum of Fine Arts, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Kiyomizu Sannenzaka Museum and Shanghai Art Museum among many others.

A raw black-clay sculpture rising vigorously to the occasion by Yamaguchi Mio titled Carpe Diem dating to later in 2023. It is 31 x 33.5 x 58.5 cm (12 x 13 x 23 inches) and is in excellent condition, directly from the artist. It comes with a signed wooden placard.
Due to size and weight this will require special shipping consideration.
Yamaguchi Mio was born in Aichi prefecture in 1992, and graduated advanced studies at the Aichi University of Education in 2017. While still at university, her works were selected for show at the JoryuTogei Ten Female Ceramic Artist Association Exhibition (2014). In 2016 she was awarded at the 3rd Kogei in Kanazawa Competition, Grand Prize at the Ceramic Art in the Present Tense Exhibition at the Hagi Uragami Museum as well received the governors prize at the 5oth Female Ceramic Artist Association Exhibition. In 2017 she was selected for the 11th International Ceramics Competition in Mino. She took a job as a teacher, but could not fight the need to create, so enrolled in the Tajimi City Ceramics research facility, graduating in2020. Her work is currently on view in the Chicago Institute of Arts, and was featured on the cover of the catalog for that exhibition, Radical Clay.
According to Mio: I feel that my fascination towards the natural world’s use of repetition, in bee hives and on the surface of corals, appears in my work as I consume and absorb the world around me. I like to believe that these works are natural forms made by my own hands. When I mold clay, I have a sensation that my body and consciousness blends and binds with the material and the natural world. The process of building upon each coil and applying each fold one by one with my hands is a form of meditation. Through this repetitive process I want to be able to convey my thoughts at the time in the texture, such as my struggle of swaying between the desires to live freely and falling under the pressure from societal expectations. It calms me down to observe the fingerprints left in the surface and see the traces of my existence in the clay. These works are products of what I have absorbed around me.

Every surface of this large tsubo by Furutani Taketoshi has been cut away in ascending and descending chevrons down the fire side of which crystalline glazes form in pools where the descending chevrons meet. On the fringes of the blast of ash are various shades of red while opposite shiseki inclusions bubble out from the raw pale clay. It is 32 cm (13 inches diameter) 37 cm (15 inches) tall and in excellent condition, enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Shigaraki Shizen Yu Shinogi Tsubo, directly from the artist.
Furutani Taketoshi was born the son of master craftsman Furutani Hirofumi in 1974, graduating the Shigaraki Industrial High School Ceramics department in 1992 before entering the Shiga prefectural Ceramics Research Facility where he learned first Small Rokuro wheel technique, graduating the following year. In 1993 he would find himself under the tutelage of Suzuki Iwau before re-entering for a second course at the Research Facility, graduating in 1995. From then he returned to the family kiln where he learned in the time-honored tradition from both his grandfather Churoku I and father Hirofumi (Churokuk II). In 2013 he was named a Dento Kogeishi Traditional Craftsman. Since he has exhibited consistently at the Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition. Subverting the self, he makes simple, organic pots which have a timeless quality. As well he dares new forms and challenges the clay with innovative techniques, coercing from the pliable earth challenging incarnations very much rooted in the now, yet still paying homage to the traditions passed down through the ages.

The vertical sides turn out ever so slightly at the rim allowing a view into the crystalline lake pooled inside this deep bowl by Furutani Taketoshi enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Shigaraki Shizen-yu Chawan. The interior is entirely covered in natural ash glaze, colors varying from light green to iron red to twilight gray with the aforementioned pool of crystalline green in the center. This is in stark contrast to the coal strip fraught with green rivulets outside, which covers about one third of the exterior, the remainder stark adobe colored clay showcasing the white feldspar for which Shigaraki is known. It is 12 x (4-3/4 inches) diameter, 8.5 cm (3-1/2 inches) tall and in excellent condition, directly from the artist
Furutani Taketoshi was born the son of master craftsman Furutani Hirofumi in 1974, graduating the Shigaraki Industrial High School Ceramics department in 1992 before entering the Shiga prefectural Ceramics Research Facility where he learned first Small Rokuro wheel technique, graduating the following year. In 1993 he would find himself under the tutelage of Suzuki Iwau before re-entering for a second course at the Research Facility, graduating in 1995. From then he returned to the family kiln where he learned in the time-honored tradition from both his grandfather Churoku I and father Hirofumi (Churokuk II). In 2013 he was named a Dento Kogeishi Traditional Craftsman. Since he has exhibited consistently at the Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition. Subverting the self, he makes simple, organic pots which have a timeless quality. As well he dares new forms and challenges the clay with innovative techniques, coercing from the pliable earth challenging incarnations very much rooted in the now, yet still paying homage to the traditions passed down through the ages.

A wild pottery sculpture by Yamaguchi Mio titled Manimani (every moment), the sandy terracotta colored clay completely unadorned, rising from three feet like some exotic earthen flower. It is 40 x 50 x 59.5 cm and is in excellent condition, directly from the artist dating from 2023. It comes with a signed wooden placard.
Due to size, the cost of shipping will be accrued separately.
Yamaguchi Mio was born in Aichi prefecture in 1992, and graduated advanced studies at the Aichi University of Education in 2017. While still at university, her works were selected for show at the JoryuTogei Ten Female Ceramic Artist Association Exhibition (2014). In 2016 she was awarded at the 3rd Kogei in Kanazawa Competition, Grand Prize at the Ceramic Art in the Present Tense Exhibition at the Hagi Uragami Museum as well received the governors prize at the 5oth Female Ceramic Artist Association Exhibition. In 2017 she was selected for the 11th International Ceramics Competition in Mino. She took a job as a teacher, but could not fight the need to create, so enrolled in the Tajimi City Ceramics research facility, graduating in2020. Her work is currently on view in the Chicago Institute of Arts, and was featured on the cover of the catalog for that exhibition, Radical Clay.
According to Mio: I feel that my fascination towards the natural world’s use of repetition, in bee hives and on the surface of corals, appears in my work as I consume and absorb the world around me. I like to believe that these works are natural forms made by my own hands. When I mold clay, I have a sensation that my body and consciousness blends and binds with the material and the natural world. The process of building upon each coil and applying each fold one by one with my hands is a form of meditation. Through this repetitive process I want to be able to convey my thoughts at the time in the texture, such as my struggle of swaying between the desires to live freely and falling under the pressure from societal expectations. It calms me down to observe the fingerprints left in the surface and see the traces of my existence in the clay. These works are products of what I have absorbed around me.

A cluster of ash and slag has adhered to the shoulder of this scarred and charred single flower vase by Furutani Taketoshi enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Shigaraki Shizen-yu Shinogi Ichirin Hanaire. The exterior has been thickly potted then sliced away in a slightly swirlin pattern in a style the artist calls Shinogi. This allows the flying ash plenty of hold to create the keshiki, or landscape effects) for which this family is known. It is 13.5 cm (5-1/2 inches) diameter, 19 cm (just under 8 inches) tall and in excellent condition, directly from the artist.
Furutani Taketoshi was born the son of master craftsman Furutani Hirofumi in 1974, graduating the Shigaraki Industrial High School Ceramics department in 1992 before entering the Shiga prefectural Ceramics Research Facility where he learned first Small Rokuro wheel technique, graduating the following year. In 1993 he would find himself under the tutelage of Suzuki Iwau before re-entering for a second course at the Research Facility, graduating in 1995. From then he returned to the family kiln where he learned in the time-honored tradition from both his grandfather Churoku I and father Hirofumi (Churokuk II). In 2013 he was named a Dento Kogeishi Traditional Craftsman. Since he has exhibited consistently at the Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition. Subverting the self, he makes simple, organic pots which have a timeless quality. As well he dares new forms and challenges the clay with innovative techniques, coercing from the pliable earth challenging incarnations very much rooted in the now, yet still paying homage to the traditions passed down through the ages.

This Oh-My-God breathtaking delicacy is by Kawase Shinobu enclosed in the original signed wooden box which is prepared with silk lined buffers to protect it. One of the most impressive pieces I have seen by this very impressive artist. It is 21.5 cm (8-1/2 inches) tall and in perfect condition.
Kawase Shinobu　was born in Oiso, Kanagawa Prefecture in 1950, heir to a family tradition of potting. His grandfather and father were Kawase Chikushun I and II respectively, masters of Chinese based ceramic styles. He began working with his father, and first came to puclic attention with his acceptance into the 1969 Nihon Dentō Kōgei Shinsakuten (National Traditional Crafts Exhibition for New Works). This was followed by acceptance into the 1974 Nihon Dentō Kogeiten (National Traditional Crafts Exhibition), at both of which he exhibited frequently. In 1980 he was selected for the Japan Ceramics Society Exhibition and was awarded there the following year. In 1983 his work was selected for the Japanese Ceramics Today exhibition at the Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C. and the Victoria & Albert Museum, London. From then his works have been exhibited throughout the globe and he is regarded as Japan’s most outstanding celadon artist working with the traditions of the Tang and Song dynasties. With his exquisite technique, organic forms and pristine glazes, he has developed a unique style that is both traditional and challenging and it is this fusion of contemporary and tradition which draws droves to his art. Work is held in the Victoria and Albert Museum (London), New York Metropolitan Museum of Art, San Francisco Asian Art Museum, Art Institute of Chicago, Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Cincinnati Art Museum, Denver Art Museum, Brooklyn, Birmingham Cleveland, New Orleans, Philadelphia and Saint Louis Museums of Art among others. There is a plethora of information available on this innovative artist, including: Japanese Ceramics Today: Masterworks from the Kikuchi Collection, (Tsuji, Tomo, Hayashiya, 1983), Modern Japanese Ceramics in American Collections (Frederick Baekeland and Robert Moes, 1993), Quiet Clarity “RIN” Beauty in Contemporary Ceramics (1996), Contemporary Clay: Japanese Ceramics for the New Century (Joe Earle, 2005), The Betsy and Robert Feinberg Collection: Japanese Ceramics for the Twenty first Century (Mintz, 2014), and or Into the Fold: Contemporary Japanese Ceramics from the Horvitz Collection (Harn Museum, 2015)

A small ceramic bowl in terracotta raw clay by rising star Yamaguchi Mio enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Cocoon. This style of built up layers of petals are her signature work, and are based on the progressive growth in layers or rings observable in the natural world. It is 14 cm diameter, 7.5 cm tall and in excellent condition, directly from the artist.
A box will be made for the piece upon sale.
Yamaguchi Mio was born in Aichi prefecture in 1992, and graduated advanced studies at the Aichi University of Education in 2017. While still at University, her works were selected for show at the Joryu Togei Ten Female Ceramic Artist Association Exhibition (2014). In 2016 she was awarded at the 3rd Kogei in Kanazawa Competition, Grand Prize at the Ceramic Art in the Present Tense Exhibition at the Hagi Uragami Museum as well received the governors prize at the 5oth Female Ceramic Artist Association Exhibition. In 2017 she was selected for the 11International Ceramics Competition in Mino. She took a job as a teacher, but could not fight the need to create, so enrolled in the Tajimi City Ceramics research facility, graduating in2020. Her work is currently on view in the Chicago Institute of Arts, and was featured on the cover of the catalog for that exhibition, Radical Clay.
According to Mio: I feel that my fascination towards the natural world’s use of repetition, in bee hives and on the surface of corals, appears in my work as I consume and absorb the world around me. I like to believe that these works are natural forms made by my own hands. When I mold clay, I have a sensation that my body and consciousness blends and binds with the material and the natural world. The process of building upon each coil and applying each fold one by one with my hands is a form of meditation. Through this repetitive process I want to be able to convey my thoughts at the time in the texture, such as my struggle of swaying between the desires to live freely and falling under the pressure from societal expectations. It calms me down to observe the fingerprints left in the surface and see the traces of my existence in the clay. These works are products of what I have absorbed around me.

A dramatic cluster of evolving black clay by Yamaguchi Mio, not only a departure from earth tones into black, but also the first piece the innovative artist made with multiple feet. It is 38 x 25 x 43 cm (15 x 10 x 17 inches) and is in excellent condition, directly from the artist. It comes with a signed wooden placard.
Due to size this will require special shipping consideration.
Yamaguchi Mio was born in Aichi prefecture in 1992, and graduated advanced studies at the Aichi University of Education in 2017. While still at University, her works were selected for show at the JoryuTogei Ten Female Ceramic Artist Association Exhibition (2014). In 2016 she was awarded at the 3rd Kogei in Kanazawa Competition, Grand Prize at the Ceramic Art in the Present Tense Exhibition at the Hagi Uragami Museum as well received the governors prize at the 5oth Female Ceramic Artist Association Exhibition. In 2017 she was selected for the 11International Ceramics Competition in Mino. She took a job as a teacher, but could not fight the need to create, so enrolled in the Tajimi City Ceramics research facility, graduating in2020. Her work is currently on view in the Chicago Institute of Arts, and was featured on the cover of the catalog for that exhibition, Radical Clay.
According to Mio: I feel that my fascination towards the natural world’s use of repetition, in bee hives and on the surface of corals, appears in my work as I consume and absorb the world around me. I like to believe that these works are natural forms made by my own hands. When I mold clay, I have a sensation that my body and consciousness blends and binds with the material and the natural world. The process of building upon each coil and applying each fold one by one with my hands is a form of meditation. Through this repetitive process I want to be able to convey my thoughts at the time in the texture, such as my struggle of swaying between the desires to live freely and falling under the pressure from societal expectations. It calms me down to observe the fingerprints left in the surface and see the traces of my existence in the clay. These works are products of what I have absorbed around me.

A dramatic growth of porcelain mixed with tinged iron clay by Yamaguchi Mio dating from 2023, one of her first ventures into white. It is 13.5 x 13 x 12 cm (roughly 5 inches diameter) and is in excellent condition, directly from the artist. It comes with a signed wooden box, which will be ordered upon sale.
Yamaguchi Mio was born in Aichi prefecture in 1992, and graduated advanced studies at the Aichi University of Education in 2017. While still at University, her works were selected for show at the JoryuTogei Ten Female Ceramic Artist Association Exhibition (2014). In 2016 she was awarded at the 3rd Kogei in Kanazawa Competition, Grand Prize at the Ceramic Art in the Present Tense Exhibition at the Hagi Uragami Museum as well received the governors prize at the 5oth Female Ceramic Artist Association Exhibition. In 2017 she was selected for the 11International Ceramics Competition in Mino. She took a job as a teacher, but could not fight the need to create, so enrolled in the Tajimi City Ceramics research facility, graduating in2020. Her work is currently on view in the Chicago Institute of Arts, and was featured on the cover of the catalog for that exhibition, Radical Clay.
According to Mio: I feel that my fascination towards the natural world’s use of repetition, in bee hives and on the surface of corals, appears in my work as I consume and absorb the world around me. I like to believe that these works are natural forms made by my own hands. When I mold clay, I have a sensation that my body and consciousness blends and binds with the material and the natural world. The process of building upon each coil and applying each fold one by one with my hands is a form of meditation. Through this repetitive process I want to be able to convey my thoughts at the time in the texture, such as my struggle of swaying between the desires to live freely and falling under the pressure from societal expectations. It calms me down to observe the fingerprints left in the surface and see the traces of my existence in the clay. These works are products of what I have absorbed around me.

A tall fluted ceramic sculpture by Yamaguchi Mio titled Memory dating from 2020. Green glaze covers the stalk and pools in the raw clay scallops. It is 61.5 cm (over 2 feet) tall and is in excellent condition, accompanied by a signed placard directly from the artist.
Due to size, the price does not include shipping cost.
Yamaguchi Mio was born in Aichi prefecture in 1992, and graduated advanced studies at the Aichi University of Education in 2017. While still at university, her works were selected for show at the JoryuTogei Ten Female Ceramic Artist Association Exhibition (2014). In 2016 she was awarded at the 3rd Kogei in Kanazawa Competition, Grand Prize at the Ceramic Art in the Present Tense Exhibition at the Hagi Uragami Museum as well received the governors prize at the 5oth Female Ceramic Artist Association Exhibition. In 2017 she was selected for the 11th International Ceramics Competition in Mino. She took a job as a teacher, but could not fight the need to create, so enrolled in the Tajimi City Ceramics research facility, graduating in2020. Her work is currently on view in the Chicago Institute of Arts, and was featured on the cover of the catalog for that exhibition, Radical Clay.
According to Mio: I feel that my fascination towards the natural world’s use of repetition, in bee hives and on the surface of corals, appears in my work as I consume and absorb the world around me. I like to believe that these works are natural forms made by my own hands. When I mold clay, I have a sensation that my body and consciousness blends and binds with the material and the natural world. The process of building upon each coil and applying each fold one by one with my hands is a form of meditation. Through this repetitive process I want to be able to convey my thoughts at the time in the texture, such as my struggle of swaying between the desires to live freely and falling under the pressure from societal expectations. It calms me down to observe the fingerprints left in the surface and see the traces of my existence in the clay. These works are products of what I have absorbed around me.

A large ceramic sculpture by Yamaguchi Mio titled O-ga-tamanoki The O-gatama no Ki is a tree usually found within shrine precincts which is said to invite the gods to come. Mio often finds her inspiration in teh natural world, or that space between the natural world and the world beyond. The sculpture is 25 x 29 x 61.5 cm (10 x 11-1/2 x 24-1/2 inches) and is in excellent condition, directly from the artist. It comes with a signed wooden placard.
Due to size and weight this will require special shipping consideration.
Yamaguchi Mio was born in Aichi prefecture in 1992, and graduated advanced studies at the Aichi University of Education in 2017. While still at university, her works were selected for show at the JoryuTogei Ten Female Ceramic Artist Association Exhibition (2014). In 2016 she was awarded at the 3rd Kogei in Kanazawa Competition, Grand Prize at the Ceramic Art in the Present Tense Exhibition at the Hagi Uragami Museum as well received the governors prize at the 5oth Female Ceramic Artist Association Exhibition. In 2017 she was selected for the 11th International Ceramics Competition in Mino. She took a job as a teacher, but could not fight the need to create, so enrolled in the Tajimi City Ceramics research facility, graduating in2020. Her work is currently on view in the Chicago Institute of Arts, and was featured on the cover of the catalog for that exhibition, Radical Clay.
According to Mio: I feel that my fascination towards the natural world’s use of repetition, in bee hives and on the surface of corals, appears in my work as I consume and absorb the world around me. I like to believe that these works are natural forms made by my own hands. When I mold clay, I have a sensation that my body and consciousness blends and binds with the material and the natural world. The process of building upon each coil and applying each fold one by one with my hands is a form of meditation. Through this repetitive process I want to be able to convey my thoughts at the time in the texture, such as my struggle of swaying between the desires to live freely and falling under the pressure from societal expectations. It calms me down to observe the fingerprints left in the surface and see the traces of my existence in the clay. These works are products of what I have absorbed around me.

A rusted and oxidized ceramic cube by Hashimoto Tomonari enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It is roughly 30 cm (1 foot) cubed, and in perfect condition, directly from the artist.
Hashimoto Tomonari was born the son of a sculptor and has felt comfortable with the processes of creation since childhood. He graduated with a masters from the Kanazawa University of Art in March 2017, then relocated to Shigaraki. A visit to his humble home studio is eye opening. Although he comes across as shy in conversation, when you move on to the subject of art, he is all confidence. He was named a finalist for the Loewe Craft Prize in 2019 and is making international waves around the world. Work by him is held in the V&A in London, LACMA and a large sculpture has recently been installed in his home prefecture of Wakayama.

An Oribe Dai-hachi footed basin by Koie Ryoji enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It is 11 x 7-1/2 x 3-1/2 inches (28 x 19 x 9 cm) and is in excellent condition. A few pre-firing chips are shown in the close-ups, glaze over-running theedges proof that they happened before the piece was fired.
Born in Tokoname, 1938, Koie Ryoji graduated the Tokoname industrial school and moved on to work at the City Ceramic Research Facility. In 1966 he established his own studio. Largely displayed and prized, he was most recently awarded the Japan Ceramic Society Gold Award in 2009, the most prestigious of pottery prizes in Japan

A pair of cups in silver and blue with gold by rising star Ichikawa Toru enclosed in the original signed wood box complete with Shifuku and Shiori. Each is roughly 9.5 cm (4 inches) diameter, 8 cm (3-1/4 inches) tall and both are in new condition. There is quite a contrast, fascinating to hold and view. The silver is quite dry and heavily textured, reminiscent of Same-hada (Sharkskin) or Jakatsu (Scorpion and Snake) wares. However, the celadon is smooth and shiny, in a deep, absorbent color, while the gold shines like only gold can, creating a vivid dialog across the playful surface. To top it off, he has allowed the thin edges to degenerate just a touch, giving them a sense of fragility and impermanence, as if they are about to disappear before your eyes.
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 beautiful combination of grays and lavenders covers the natural sculpted form in sunset color Hagi clay by legendary artisan Kaneta Masanao enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Hagi Kurinuki Hanaire dating circa 2000. It is 30 x 24 x 23 cm (12 x 10 x 9 inches) and is in excellent condition.
Kaneta Masanao likely needs no introduction, certainly one of Hagi is most well known names, he has been displayed both nationally and internationally innumerable times. His pieces are in the collection of the Tokyo National Museum of Modern Art, Yamaguchi Prefectural Museum and Museum of Modern Art Brooklyn. He has been displayed at the Nihon Dento Kogei Ten and Nihon Togei Ten among many many others.

A spectacular Shino Vase in deep Murasaki, and white by Tamaoki Yasuo enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Shino Tsubo. It is 14-3/4 inches (39 cm) tall, roughly 26 cm (10-1/2 inches) diameter and 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