Catalog: Artists: Ceramics: Pottery (618)

There is an understated elegance in the work of Saito Hiroyuki which is very difficult to describe, but blatantly apparent the moment one holds his work. This guinomi is expertly crafted, rough textured outside with a smooth rim leading to the dark inner “Ma” (emptiness), ready to be filled. It is 6.5 cm (2-1/2 inches) diameter, 5 cm (2 inches) tall and in excellent condition, directly from the artist.
Although I would love to offer a plethora of his work, we will have to wait until our next trip to Kyushu, as Hiroyuki is now concentrating, according to his own personal policy, on the very local populace, with whom he can develop a personal relationship, and know through direct feedback that his creations are rewarding to the end user.
Saito Hiroyuki was born in Kumamoto on the Southern Island of Kyushu in 1978. He came to ceramics after 30, having worked in industry and as a florist. In his late 20 he began to ask, what is a lifelong career? A stylish fellow, he was profoundly affected by the simplicity and style of German born Hans Coper. But it was not necessarily the connections to history and a specific tradition, but the ability to express one’s unique character through clay which drew him toward the potters fold. Around 30 he had a brush with death, and in the ICU decided should he survive, he would dedicate the remainder of his life to expressing himself in earth. Survive he did, and initially he was self-taught, eschewing the practice of apprenticeship while exploring his own new path. In 2013 he entered the Gen-gama under Furumori Gen, taking over the running of the kiln the following year. In 2018 he remodeled, setting up a group studio now shared by several artists working in various mediums.

Namako mottled dark blue glaze covers the fractured surface of this guinomi sake cup by Kashima Aya enclosed in the original signed wooden box. The technique is deceptively complex. In fact the initial form is created, then a thin layer of ceramic is made separately, dried, then cracked, and the individual pieces are applied like mosaic to the prepared form. Each the space in between the tiles is then abraded, the tiles glazed with color and the space n between glazed with iron. Each piece requires a great amount of painstaking dedication to complete. It is 6.5 cm (2-1/2 inches) diameter, 5.5 cm (just over 2 inches) tall and in excellent condition, directly from the artist.
Kashima Aya was born in Kanagawa prefecture in 1987. She graduated the Tokyo Kasei Gakuin University, Department of Arts and Culture in 2010. She graduated the Tajimi City Ceramic Design Institute Design Course in 2020, with an additional two years in their advanced Ceramic Lab, graduating in 2022. During this time, she took part in many group exhibitions. She received Nyusen status at the 55th Women's Association of Ceramic Artists (WACA) Exhibition in 2021. In 2023 her work was selected for presentation at the “Ceramic Synergy Exhibition” held at the Kyoto Kyocera Museum of Art.

An exquisite black clay guinomi from Tokoname engraved with white lines by Shibata Yoshiaki enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It is 2-1/2 inches (7 cm) diameter and in excellent condition.
Yoshiaki is credited with having discovered the secret of this black clay, now in use by any number of atists in Tokoname. He was born in 1946, and apprenticed under Living National Treasure Yamada Jozan, becoming one of his top pupils. He established his own kiln in 1965 producing traditional tea ware as well as art objects. In 1972 he was recognized at the Vallauris International Ceramics Exhibition, and has had innumerable public and private exhibitions since.

An early vase by sculptural legend Yanagihara Mutsuo enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Heki-yu Tetsu-e Kabin. Hekiyu is a glaze made of copper and cobalt, which when fired takes on the color of Lapiz. In this case the Lapiz blue pours down over a tapering base of raw earth decorated with spiraling blades in iron glaze. It is 23.5cm (9 inches) diameter 27.5 cm (11 inches) tall and in excellent condition.
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.”

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

A large Hidasuki Bizen Table by Shibaoka Nobuyoshi enclosed in the original signed wooden box. Two large circles beyond the burnt-straw remains gives the effect of the moon reflecting off water viewed through a rush of bamboo. The table is 17-1/2 by 9-1/2 by 4 inches (44 x 24.5 x 10 cm) and is in excellent condition. Nobuyoshi was born in 1950, the son of Ikkai. He graduated the Bizen Industrial High School and went on to apprentice at the Bizen Ceramics Research Institute followed by training under his grandfather Kozan II as well as under the tutelage of his father. He has been often prized at the Okayama Prefectural Exhibition, and has displayed with the Issui-kai, Nihon Dento Kogei Ten (National Traditional Crafts Exhibition), Nihon Togei Ten (National Ceramics Exhibition) as well as the Chunichi Kokusai Kogei Ten.

Mottled blue in thick textured drips run down the sides over ashen glaze on this 4 eared Tsubo by Sakuchi Ensen enclosed in the original signed wooden box. The thickness of the drips adds a tactile sense to this piece, compelling the hands to reach out and touch. It is 11-1/2 inches (29.5 cm) tall 9 inches (23 cm) diameter and in fine condition. The box lid is stained.
Sakuchi Ensen (B. 1922) began on the path of the potter in 1946, searching to create something unusual in the hils of Okayama. His research led him to create this highly decorative yet wildly natural glaze he came to call Hishhoku Nanban Yaki.

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

Enigmatic lines score the martian landscape of this large slab platter by innovative Japanese artist Teramoto Mamoru enclosed in the original signed wooden box. The slab measures 53.5 x 16.5 x 5 cm (21 x 6-1/2 x 2 inches) and is in perfect condition. The box itself is a testament toteh value placed on it by the artist, double the thickness of a usual box and of a fine grade of kiri. The moonscape style is haunting, and Mamoru is a must for any modern Japanese ceramic collection.
Mamoru (1949-present) born in Kanagawa prefecture, initially worked at the Kasama Kobayashi Research Facility after graduating the Tokyo Craft Design Institute. Later he apprenticed under the instruction of both Matsumoto Saichi of Kutani, and Miura Isamu. He established his own kiln in 1976 in Kasama. His works have been displayed and prized at the Nihon Dento Kogeiten (National Traditional Crafts Exhibtion), Nihon Togei Ten (National Ceramics Exhibition) as well as the Shinsaku Ten (New Crafts Exhibition). For more information on this artist see the Catalog from the Nancy Fitz-Gerald Collection.

Viscious ash and charring cling to the side of this spectacular Mizusashi by Konishi Heinai enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It is 7 inches (18 cm) tall, the same diameter and in fine condition.
Konishi Heinai (1899-1991) was born into a family of farmers in Ehime on the Island of Shikoku. In 1925 he fell head over heels in love with Raku-yaki and it was in the world of pottery he chose to leave his mark. Returning to Shikoku in 1928, he studied various techniques and went on to study under Kawakita Handeishi from 1931. It was at this time he began to build his first Noborigama climbing kiln. Gaining fame throughout the war years, 1949 saw his fame and genius explode into public notoriety. In 1968 he passed the reins to his adopted son. Heinai II was born into the Beppu family in Aichi (Seto area) in 1928. He apprenticed under his uncle Heinai, followed by a sojourn under Handeishi, and in 1958 became the adopted son of Heinai I. His works were widely collected and exhibited throughout Japan, and he is held in the collection of the Metropolitan New York among many others. The Taiko Gama is one of the most famous for Tea Ware in Japan outside Kyoto.

An oblong Oribe dish with striated designs by Kato Shigetaka enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It is 10 x 11 inches (26 x 27.5 cm) diameter and in fine condition.
Shigetaka was born the second son of Kato Tokuro in 1927. He graduated the Seto Industrial School of Ceramics and studied under his father. From 1959-1971 submitted annually to the Nitten where he received the Hokusho prize as well as the Modern Ceramics Prize among others. He also received the Japanese Ceramics Society award and governors prize at the Asahi Togeiten. He later accompanied his father on frequent trips to China and Central Asia for research into the roots of silk road pottery. He is best known for Shino ware but worked the gamut of Mino and Seto styles.

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

A small dish from the 1960s by Fujihira Shin enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It is 8 inches (20 cm) diameter and in fine condition.
Fujihira Shin (b. 1922-2012) was born into the family of a ceramics dealer in Kyoto, raised among the pots, and attended the Art University, however, in his second year would lose four years of his life to battling illness. This life and death struggle would make him a strong character, coming forth from then on in his works. He would come to the National Scene first upon receiving the Hokutosho prize at the Nitten National Exhibition in 1958. This brought him to the forefront of the ceramics scene. He was awarded the JCS (Japan Ceramic Society) award in 1973. During his career works by him were often selected to represent Japan and it’s arts overseas, in Europe, and the Americas. He was awarded the order of cultural merit in 1991 by Kyoto prefecture. In 1993 the Mainichi Ceramics Prize. In 1996 Kyoto prefectural order of cultural merit and in 1998 received the Japan Ceramic Society Gold Prize, one of the highest honors for a Japanese potter. Held in the collections of the V&A, National Museum in Warsaw, The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo has more than a dozen pieces, only to be outdone by Kyoto which has more than 20 pieces. For more see “Japanese Ceramics Today Part 1” 2003.

Hi-dasuki lines of red charring streak across the surface of this large Tokkuri Vase by Isezaki Mitsuru (b. 1934) enclosed in the original signed wooden box. A smooth even profusion of bubbles welter about the clay, adding a tactile texture to the elongated body. The vase is over 20 inches (51.5 cm) tall and in perfect condition. Mitsuru was born to a family of potters, his father Yozan and brother Jun both very important in Bizen pottery. In 1998 Mitsuru was named a Prefectural Intangible Cultural Property for Okayama (the prefectural version of a living National Treasure, likely more important as it is truly based on the artists contributions rather than heredity). He has innumerable exhibitions, including the Nihon Togei-Ten (National Ceramics Exhibition) Nihon Dento Kogei-Ten (National Traditional Crafts Exhibition) and Gendai Togei Ten (Modern Japanese Ceramics Exhibition). In fact his first piece exhibited with the First National Ceramic Exhibition was selected for display in a show which went around the globe. Recipient of the Kaneshige Toyo prize as well as purchased by the Japanese Foreign service as gift to foreign dignitaries.

Try describing this incredible Mizusashi covered in glassy Oribe green glaze by important artist Hayashi Shotaro enclosed in the original signed wooden box. Spectacular is all that comes to mind. It is entirely sculptural, with a refinement of glaze only this artist can create. The piece is 7 inches (18 cm) tall, 9 inches (23 cm) diameter and in perfect condition. Shotaro (b. 1947) is one of the biggest names in contemporary Mino ceramics. He first began with a 7 year apprenticeship under his older brother Kotaro, ending when he established his own kiln in 1974. Since then his list of exhibitions and awards has been amazing, including the Nihon Dento Kogei Ten (National Traditional Arts and Crafts Exhibition), Governors Prize and five times winner of Best of Show at the Asahi Togei Ten (Asahi Ceramics Exhibition), and Best of Show at Gifu Prefectural Exhibition among many many others.

Blasted and dripping with ash, a spectacular Shigaraki Mizusashi by Tanimoto Yo enclosed in the original signed wooden box. A shell juts from raw rippled wood lid like it was sticking up from the ripples of sand on a beach. It is 21.5 cm (8-1/2 inches) tall 18.5 cm (7 inches) diameter and in fine condition. Born in 1958 the son of Iga potter Tanimoto Kosei, Yo was raised among the kilns and has always had his hands in clay. He first began exhibiting in 1982, and in 1984 moved to Europe where he studied oil painting and sculpture (in Spain), and set up a pottery studio outside Paris. After returning to Japan he set uphis own studio in 1988, working both in Japan and and Spain. Since his works have been exhibited widely, both domestically and abroad in New York, London, Barcelona and Paris.
The box has been once broken and repaired, the mizusashi undamaged.

A draping curtain of dark torn Bizen clay folds over the enigmatic form of this vase by Kaneshige Kosuke enclosed in the original signed wooden box. Texture varies from chattered extrusion to long, combed lines. Soft shades of color glow on the sides of the dark clay. The vase is 9 inches (23 cm) tall, 13 inches (33 cm) wide and in excellent condition, dating circa 1990.
Kaneshige Kosuke was born in 1943, third son of Bizen pillar Kaneshige Toyo. He studied from an early age with his father, then to Tokyo where he graduated the sculpture department of the Tokyo University of Art. Since he has been exhibited at the Nihon Kogeiten (Japan National Crafts Exhibition), Asahi Togei Ten (Asahi Ceramics Exhibition) and Tanabe Chanoyu Sculpture Exhibit. He has also been exhibited in the Tokyo National Museum of Modern Art, as well as internationally in New York, Paris, Seoul and Boston. He is held in the Tokyo National Museum of Modern Art, The Suntory Collection and the Okayama Museum of Modern Art among others.

A black lacquered lid covers the opening of this exquisite mizusashi by Tsukigata Nahiko enclosed in a wooden box titled Oni Shino Mizusashi and endorsed by his student Ayukai Kogetsu. It is 7-1/2 inches (19 cm) diameter, 6 inches (15.5 cm) tall and in excellent condition.
Tsukigata Nahiko (1923-2006) was not only an accomplished ceramic artist, but also a painter, calligrapher, sculptor and musician. Born in Niigata prefecture, he was at Waseda University in 1941 when he was summarily drafted into the Army. After the war he attended the Arts course of Nippon Daigaku University and was struck by the works of Living National Treasure Arakawa Toyozo, to whom he apprenticed in the arts of Shino and took his mentors work to a new level. Like all art, his was alive and always evolving. Starting with the replication and research of Momoyama techniques to the culmination of his efforts in Oni-shino, Nahiko has taken Shino beyond all others. It was not an easy road, for the first 15 years he worked for a ballet school, spent time as a recluse priest at Myoanji temple, and wandered the country playing the shakuhachi. It was a time of great change in Japan, starvation was rampant immediately after the war and supporting oneself through the little known art of Shino-yaki was difficult. However he persevered, along with Toyozo, Kato Juuemon, Kato Kohei and others, to bring Shino to the forefront of ceramic arts. Heavily prized domestically and abroad in his lifetime, his low output and unique quality make his work a must have for collectors. Ayukai Kogetsu was a female artist from Miyagi prefecture who became a student and follower of Tsukigata in 1979. She currently takes part in calligraphy and ceramic exhibitions throughout Japan.