Catalog: Artists: Ceramics: Pottery (842)

Jagged bands of color like the climbing mountains surrounding Kyoto rise up the sides of this majestic work by Miyashita Zenji enclosed in the original signed wooden box exhibited at the 5th Kyoto Modern Ceramic Artists Exhibition in 1985. It is 14 x 17 x 37.5 cm (5-1/2 x 7 x 15 inches) and in excellent condition. It is a reasonably early work in this saidei oeuvre of the artist.
Miyashita Zenji (1939-2012) was born into the family of potter Miyashita Zenju, and graduated the Kyoto Municipal University of Art. Starting with the most difficult, he worked from Celadon, which relies on shape and extreme control of firing. He is held in the British Museum, Metropolitan New York, and Brooklyn Museum among a host of others.

A sizeable seihakuji vase by celadon master Fukami Sueharu (b. 1947) enclosed in the original signed wooden box dating circa 1985. Graceful lines drape from 8 points evenly distributed about the rim, creating a sense of geometry on the simple orb. The vase is roughly 8-1/2 inches tall, 9-3/4 inches diameter and in excellent condition. The name of Kyotos Sueharu is synonymous with seihakuji celadon. He has been displayed numerous times at the prestigious Nitten, Nihon Togei Ten (National Japanese Ceramic Exhibition) and Nihon Gendai Kogei Ten (National Japanese Modern Crafts Exhibition) among others. He is held in the Yale University Museum among others. For more information on this artist a quick web-search, or a look at the article highlighting his life in the March 2005 edition of Orientations Magazine will be enlightening.

Few foreign potters are able to embrace the Japanese aesthetic as well as Jeff Shapiro. Here is a piece from his second solo exhibition in Tokyo dated 1991. This piece is 9-1/2 inches (24 cm) tall, 9 inches (23 cm) diameter and in excellent condition.
Shapiro was born in New York in 1949. He studied ceramics in Japan from 1973 to 1980, returning to America to build an Anagama kiln in New York in 1981. Works by him are held in numerous American Museums, including Museum of Ceramic Art, The Brooklyn Museum of Art and the Fuller Museum. He has also been commissioned by the New York Metropolitan for its Japan Gallery. There is an abundance of published information on the artist including the 1998 “Ceramics and Beyond”, by Dai Ichi Arts and the 1995 “Yakimono Sanka – In Praise of Ceramics”, by Robert Yellen

A prominent mimitsuki mentori vase by Kakurezaki Ryuichi enclosed in the original signed wooden box. The tapering rectangular form has been gouged and cut, slabs torn off and odd holes sliced into the sides and top. The clay is dark and shiny, spattered with green ash. The vase is 15 inches (38 cm) tall, the base 5 x 8-1/2 inches (12.5 x 21.5 cm) and in excellent condition. It is likely that Ryuichi needs no introduction, one of the most well known of Bizen potters, he is interestingly originally not from Bizen but far off Nagasaki, which seems to have gifted him with the ability to see the clays potential beyond conventional form. He graduated the Osaka University of Fine Arts, then enjoyed a long apprenticeship under Bizen Living National Treasure Isezaki Jun before opening his own kiln in 1986. Combining traditional technique with modern architectural form, He was recipient of the Japan Ceramics Society Award, Grand Prize at the Fifth Contemporary Tea Ceremony Utensils Exhibition, Tanabe Museum and has a list of public and private exhibitions which go beyond this brief add, including a showing in New York this year. His works are held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum of London, National Ceramic Museum of France and the Tanabe Museum among others. Respecting the wishes of the artist we will not publish his prices on line.

A striking large Tsubo in silvered Bizen ware by innovative Bizen artist Matsui Tomoyuki enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Bizen Ginsai Tsubo and dating circa 1990. It exhibits all the features of great Bizen, the smooth clay struck with flashes of darker color. The sense is that of seeing a Bizen Tsubo in an old tintype photograph, a most unique approach. It is 10-1/2 inches (27 cm) diameter, 12 inches (30 cm) tall and in excellent condition.
Matsui Tomoyuki is one of the leading ceramic artist of Bizen and was designated an Okayama prefectural Intangible Cultural Asset in 1996 (the prefectural version of a living national treasure). Born an outsider to the Bizen community in 1931, he hails from Kumamoto prefecture, on the Southern Island of Kyushu. He graduated the National Kyoto Ceramics Research Institut in 1950, and then studied under Morino Kako. In 1960 he moved to Bizen to work in the Okayama prefectural Bizen Pottery Center. While there he was first selected for the Japan Traditional Arts & Crafts Exhibition (Nihon Dento Kogeiten) in 1966 and subsequently for the first National Ceramic Art Exhibition (Nihon Togei Ten) in 1971. He left the ceramics facility and established his own kiln in Bizen in 1973. Although it would not have been easy as an outsider, he was granted the Kaneshige Toyo Prize in 1980, one of the most important awards available to Bizen potters. That same year his “Bizen Ginsai O-zara Platter (in the same style as this piece) was taken in to the collection of Ise Jingu Shrine. The following year he would receive the Okayama prefectural culture service prize. The next decade would see many aards and an effort on private exhibitions as well as many public events culminating with him serving as Judge of the Okayama prefectural Art Exhibition. Throughout the 90s his contributions to the art world would gain recognition being designated a holder of Intangible Cultural Assets in 1996 and then named an Okayama Prefectural Intangible Cultural Asset in 1997. That same year his work was exhibited as part of a group exhibition at the French National Ceramics Art Musuem, He was granted the Okayama prefectural culture prize in 1998. With a new century he established a new Kiln, completing construction in 2001 and his carreer would continue garnering prizes and his influence on subsequent generations of Bizen potters would become apparent.

A spectacular square vase of undulating misty mountain forms in colored clay by important ceramic artist Miyashita Zenji enclosed in the original signed wooden box. The colors break from rich dark blue through the green spectrum to yellow and black. It is signed on bottom. The vase measures 29 x 22 x 28 cm tall (11-1/2 x 8-1/2 x 11 inches) and is in excellent condition. Included is the original box cover written by Zenji.
Miyashita Zenji (1939-2012) was born into the family of potter Miyashita Zenju, and graduated the Kyoto Municipal University of Art under Kiyomizu Kyubei and Kusube Yaichi. Starting with the most difficult, he worked from Celadon, which relies on shape and extreme control of firing. He began exhibiting in the annual Nitten exhibitions in 1964, eventually winning eighteen prizes. According to the Sackler, which holds 6 works by him, “ His mature work was a modern embodiment of a classic Kyoto mode associated with the Heian period (794–1185). He applied delicate layers of color—reminiscent of multilayered court robes or decorated papers made for inscribing poetry—using not over-glaze enamels or glazes but clay itself, dyed with mineral pigments”. He is held in the aforementioned Freer-Sackler, the British Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art New York, and the Brooklyn Museum the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, the Museum of Fine Arts Houston and of course The National Museums of Modern Art both in Kyoto and Tokyo among a host of others.

This is a splendid example of work by one of Japans true ceramic masters, Kato Takuo (1917-2005), signed on the base and enclosed in the original signed and stamped wooden box titled Aoyu-kinsai Hanaike. The work surpasses the simplicity of the title, covered in rich blue glaze with silver clouding and gold highlights on the looping waves about the rim, the piece exemplifies the unusual forms favored by the artist in the late 80s and early 90s, leading up to his being given the most coveted title in Japan of living National Treasure. The simple bottle form decorated with convoluted loops reminds one of an ancient glass bottle pulled from 2000 years of sleep off the floor of the Aegean Sea. The vase stands 8-1/4 inches (21 cm) tall and is in perfect condition. Kato Takuo, I am sure, requires no introduction. He was trained in ceramics by both his father, Kato Kopei, and at the Kyoto School of ceramics. He was soon accepted and consistently displayed at any number of National and International Exhibitions, and was named an Intangible Cultural Asset in 1995. Sadly he passed away of pneumonia on January 12 of this year. This is a rare opportunity to acquire a piece by this highly sought Japanese Artist.

A rare set of Tokkuri by important artist Okabe Mineo enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Seto-te Tokkuri. The shapes are twins, one in E-shino style with iron decoration under white feldspar, the other in austere Oribe green glaze. The flaring mouths are both ulled slightly creating a perfect pouring spout. They are 13 cm (5-/4 inches) tall, 7 cm (2-3/4 inches) diameter and in excellent condition.
Okabe Mineo (1919-1990) was born the first son of important artist Kato Tokuro, however the relationship with his father was volatile. When he was 9 Tokuro moved the young family to Seto, where Mineo would graduate the Aichi Prefectural Ceramics School in 1937. After a year at the family kiln, he moved to Tokyo, then joined the army in 1940. He fought against the Americans and would spend several years as a prisoner of war in the Philippines, repatriated to Japan in 1947. He returned to Aichi prefecture, leaving enough distance between himself and his estranged family, and with his wife began producing pottery in Toyoda. In 1953 he met Koyama Fujio; that same year he was awarded the Hokuto prize at the Nitten, and his work was collected by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This was the true beginning of his career. In 1955 he received the JCS award, one of the highest honors for a Japanese potter. By the mid ‘60s. he moved to celadon ware. He changed his name from Kato to Okabe in 1978, to honor his wife who supported his efforts for so many years.

Unusual in its use of a base pattern beneath the color, here is a large Kutani receptacle by Living National Treasure Tokuda Yasokichi (Masahiko) enclosed in the original signed wooden box. The tinge of yellow circling inside the rim is also a rare and highly sought feature in the artists work. The basin curves up, rising from a small foot with a steady graduation of both color and form inside and out, striking as it is perfect. The box is signed Masahiko, dating the piece prior to his succeeding the name Yasokichi in 1993. The basin is 18 inches (45.5 cm) diameter, 4 inches (10 cm) tall 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.

A Shino bowl by modern pottery master Sato Katsuhiko enclosed in the original signed wooden box. Dark iron characters diffuse into the misty feldspar glaze, Mu (nothingness) on one side and a circle on the other. A bowl steeped in the tradition of Zen, it is slightly closed at the irregular rim to focus the aroma. The bowl is 4 inches (10 cm) tall, 4-1/2 inches (11.5 cm) diameter and in perfect condition. Katsuhiko is an eccentric artist, working aptly in not only pottery, but also painting and calligraphy. He was born in Manchuria in 1940, his family returning to Japan in 1947 to settle in Okayama. He formed his unique attitude toward life while on his deathbed with severe tuberculosis in 1960, and with an inner will which defied medical opinions, recovered to a full and healthy life through a practice of painting Buddhist images. Two years later he graduated university and became a teacher in a small village in Nara prefecture, home to some of Japans greatest Buddhist monasteries. He achieved fame with a collection of paintings nationally publicized, and later, after already having his oil, watercolor and calligraphic works privately exhibited at the Nara prefectural museum, he began potting under Tsujimura Shiro in 1974. He is truly a unique artist, broad based and with a joy which shines through all of his work. Much more could be written about this man, but I will leave that to be discovered by you.

A massive Bizen Charger with a large central spot like a sunflare by Kengo Masamune (b. 1954) enclosed in the original wooden box displayed at the 1987 Nihon Togei Ten IX (The Ninth Japan Ceramic Art Exhibition) and can be viewed as item number 169 in the catalog. It is huge at 21 inches (53 cm) in diameter, 3 inches (8 cm) tall. The exhibition label remains on the back of the dish and it comes with the exhibition catalog.
Kengo has been largely exhibited, including the Chunichi Kokusai Togei Ten, Nihon Dento Kogei Ten (Japanese Traditional Crafts Exhibition), Nihon Togei ten, Issui Kai Ten, and Okayama Ken Ten. Due to size the cost of shipping will be assessed separately from the list price.

rta A bold work by 20th century potter Shimizu Jun enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Red Rocet. The platter is 16 inches (40.5 cm) diameter, 2-1/2 inches (6 cm) tall and in perfect condition. Jun was born in Osaka in 1951, graduating the Osaka City Industrial Institute (Metalworking) in 1969, upon which time he moved to the Kyoto Ceramics Research Facility. Avoiding the political world of National competition, Jun concentrated on Local events as a forum for exposure, beginning with the Kyo-Ten (Kyoto Prefectural Art Exhibition) in 1971. Since 1979 works have been displayed at the Nihon Shin Kogei Ten (Japan New Crafts Exhibition). This piece dates circa that era.

An exquisite Nerikomi basin by Shiobara Yoshio enclosed in the original signed wooden box exhibited at the 9th Nihon Togeiten National Exhibition. Nerikomi is the technique of working with layers of variously colored clays. This basin measures 17 inches (43 cm) diameter, 6 inches (16 cm) tall and is in fine condition. The original exhibition tag remains on the base with a note stating it was purchased for 400,000 yen (currently about 5,000 dollars) at that time. The original exhibition catalog is also included.
Due to size the cost of shipping will be assessed separately from the list price.

Scrafitto dots surround a pool of crackled glass deeply impressed into the ovoid form of this ko-tsubo by Yagi Kazuo enclosed in a wooden box signed by his son Yagi Akira. White slip appears haphazardly slapped on the body as with a wide brush, creating a vigorous dynamic, combined with the pointilized circle and abstract form, there is a tension which draws one into the belly of the work, certainly reflecting the best this important artist had to offer. It is 16.5 x 13 x 15 cm (6-1/2 x 5 x 6 inches) and in excellent condition. For a nearly identical piece see New Forms, New Voices (2017) p. 85.
Yagi Kazuo (1918-1979) was one of the most influential Avant Garde potters of 20th century Japan. He was born into the family of potter Yagi Isso, a noted specialist in fine Chinese and traditional Japanese forms and glazes. Kazuo studied at the Kyoto Ceramics Research Facility, like many great potters before him including his father and the founders of the Mingei movement, Kawai Kanjiro and Hamada Shoji. While there immersed in traditional forms, he joined the Ceramic Sculpture Association of Japan, and in 1939 was exhibited with them. Drafted shortly thereafter, he wa sent to China, but quickly returned to Japan with illness, for which he was discharged, and went back to sculpture, very much influenced by Western Art movements of the time. The war years were difficult of course, but following Japan’s Surrender, Kazuo was accepted into the Nitten National Exhibition. Like many young artists who had been held in the yolk of Japan’s strict military regime, he was grasping for something new, and his work expressed a strong desire to throw off the weight of traditionalism and function. So it was in 1948 when Kazuo, along with a number of other potters including Suzuki Osamu, Yamada Hikaru and Kumakura Junkichi, founded the Iconic Sodeisha Group. The work of this group would change forever the perception of Japanese pottery, and he would go down as one of the most influential potters of the 20th century.

A four sided vase in Aka-e design by important 20th century potter Kawamoto Goro enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Aka-e Kamon Hanaike exhibited in 2001 and published in the book Kawamoto Rekitei, Goro, Taro, San-Dai-Ten (Three Generations of Kawamoto Family). It is 27.5 cm (11 inches) tall, 16 cm (6 inches) square and in excellent condition. The Book is included.
Kawamoto Goro (1919-1986) was born in Seto to a family of potters. He studied in Kyoto at the same institution as Kawai Kanjiro and Hamada Shoji. Returning to work at the family kiln, he was later adopted by Kawamoto Rekitei, a famous decorator of pottery. In 1953 he gained first recognition, accepted into the Nitten National Exhibition and garnering top prize at the Asahi Modern Ceramics Exhibition. In 1958 he would be awarded in Brussels, and in 1959 in California and at home was granted the 1959 JCS award, perhaps the most significant honor for a pottery in Japan. Much lauded in and after his lifetime, the list of awards is far too long for this article. Work by him is held in the Kyoto National Museum of Modern Art as well as the The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo among many others.

Enigmatic figures rise from concave discs on the front of this massive Tenmoku Vase by modern sculptural artist Ohi Toshiro enclosed in the original signed wooden box. The gourd shaped form is covered in a mottled red Kaki-yu spotted with flashes of black. The smooth evenly graduated sides contrast with the sharp rough edge of the opening, both surprising and pleasing. Signed clearly on the base, the vase is 14 inches (36 cm) tall, 9-1/2 inches (24 cm) diameter and in perfect condition. Toshiro was born in 1927, the first son of Ohi Chozaemon IX. He graduated the Tokyo University of Arts in 1949, and then returned for a short time to the family kiln. He has since been professor at a number of prestigious Japanese institutions. He has been a consistent exhibitor with the Nitten National Exhibition, and served as both judge and director there, as well as acting as judge for the Asahi Ceramics Exhibition. He was awarded the Japan Ceramics Society award in 1957. He was also granted the Art Academy Award of Japan, perhaps one of the most prestigious of all honors in this country in 1985. He has been actively exhibiting abroad since 1949, including North America, The former Soviet Union, most of Europe as well as in the Middle East. In 1983 a tea bowl made by Toshiro was given as a gift to the Emperor and it, as well as several subsequent pieces, are in the permanent collection of the Imperial Household Agency). He accepted the name of Ohi Chozaemon X in 1987. Since his reputation has only grown greater. There is a derth of information available on this artist.

Impressed rope designs under black swirls create a dynamic sense of movement on this huge charger by Ningenkokuho Shimaoka Tatsuzo enclosed in the original signed wooden box. The piece is 16 inches (40 cm) diameter and 3-1/2 inches (8.5 cm) tall; in perfect condition. After serving in World War II, Tatsuzo apprenticed under world famous Mashiko Mingei potter Hamada Shoji, establishing his own kiln in 1954. Working with rope patterns, Tatsuzo set out to create a style unique to himself, resulting in the piece you see here, which is quintessential Tatsuzo. In 1996 he was designated a Living National Treasure (Juyo Mukei Bunkazai or Ningenkokuho).

Haunting shapes are scraped into the raw clay like some ancient Nazcan riddle on this huge ball vase by Sato Kazuhiko. The vase is 15-1/2 inches (40 cm) tall, 17 inches (43 cm) diameter and in excellent condition. There is no box. Kazuhiko (b. 1947) is a widely displayed artist and author of many books on the ceramic arts. For more information on this artist see Modern Japanese Ceramics in American Collections (1993). Due to size this piece will require special shipping consideration.

How to describe the texture on this very unusual vase? It is porous, like a thick coat of lichen on the surface. This is one of the many unusual pieces we have come to expect from the artist Koinuma Michio, ever a surprise! The body is sculpted with thick undulating lines in relief, and covered with this earth-toned porous glaze. It is 10 inches (26 cm) tall, 12 x 5-1/2 inches (31 x 14 cm) and is in excellent condition. It is stamped on the base by the artist and signed Koinuma Michio, S. 50 6 5 (June 5th 1975) Mashiko. The Kiri-wood box is not signed.
Michio is a compelling figure unique among contemporary artists. He seems to have no limit to his imagination and creativity, still dazzling us with new concepts after four decades. Born in the hectic war years in 1936, he is incredibly intelligent, graduating the economics department of Osaka University, then on to Waseda for graduate studies, one of the top three schools in Japan. Relinquishing that life he opened a kiln in Mashiko in 1970. Since 1978 he has been consistently displayed at the best galleries in Japan, as well as overseas. For more see Contemporary Japanese Ceramics Fired with Passion (ISBN -10: 1-891640-38-0) or To volume 10, which is dedicated entirely to him.

A phoenix flairs majestically out in minute detail on this large sometsuke vase by Nakamoto Chikuzan enclosed in the original signed wooden box. Written with an exacting hand, the bird is made up of hundreds of tiny strokes of the masters brush. Ordinarily we do not work with sometsuke however this is a powerful piece deserving exception. The vase is 13 inches (33 cm) tall and in perfect condition. Nakamoto Chikuzan I (1911-2000) cultivated his roots at the Tobe Industrial School before embarking on a remarkable career of research, revival and development, an artist credited with almost single handedly saving Tobe-Yaki from extinction. He was awarded innumerable praise including by the Imperial Family. He was most known for sometsuke porcelain decorated with classical scenery, but also worked in impressed and carved forms, and overglaze enamels. He was granted the Kyoiku-cho award in 1990, and this piece commemorates that auspicious occasion (as noted inside the box lid). A mosaic by Chikuzan 3 by 10 meters (10 by 30 feet) decorates the Tobe City Municipal Office building.

Pale clay baked red with a dusting of natural ash glaze and small streaming rivulets complimenting the undulating ribbons billowing pell-mell from the top of this odd shaped sculptural vase by Kiyomizu Rokubei VII (1922-2006) enclosed in the original signed wooden box. The piece is 9 inches (23.5 cm) tall, 7-1/2 inches (19 cm) wide and in excellent condition. The Kiyomizu family potters managed one of the most productive workshops in Kyoto’s Gojozaka district from the second half of the Edo period. From the Meiji they began producing tableware for export and special pieces for government-sponsored exhibitions under Rokubei V. The workshop declined after World War II but was revived by Kiyomizu Rokubei VII, an adopted artist from Aichi prefecture. A graduate of the Tokyo University of Fine Art, he was a trained sculptor specializing in, in addition to clay, media like metal, glass, wood, paper and photography. Rokubei studied in Italy from the 1969-1970, and was a common contributor to the Nitten (under the name Hiroshi) Receiving the Hokuto-sho prize there and later serving on the selection committee. He is also well known for sculptures. He succeeded the family name in 1987 and also used the name Kyubei. Kiyomizu Rokubei VIII, is now head of the kiln. For more on this important artist see Contemporry Clay, Japanese Ceramics for the New Century by Joe Earle, ISBN O-87846-696-7.

A spectacular Shino Vase in deep murasaki and white by Tamaoki Yasuo enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It is 11 inches (28 cm) tall, roughly the same diameter and in excellent condition. This piece is from the era in which Yasuo won the Japan Ceramic Society award (JCS) in 1979. Included is a catalog from Mitsukoshi Department Store and an advertisement for the Exhibition of JCS Award Winners.
Yasuo was born in Tajimi in 1941, one of the homes of Mino ware. He began his path to professional ceramicist at the Tajimi Industrial High School, and a stint at the Gifu Ceramics Research institute, where he followed the footsteps of a number of modern ceramic artists such as Hamada Shoji and Kawai Kanjiro, who also began their careers in the same manner. He then apprenticed under Kato Kohei before establishing his own kiln. Since, his list of exhibitions and awards is too long to print, but include the Nihon Dento Kogei Ten (National Traditional Arts and Crafts Exhibition), Best of Show twice at the Tokai Dento Kogei Ten (Tokai Traditional Arts and Crafts Exhibition), as well as being prized at the Asahi Togei Ten (Asahi Ceramics Exhibition), and receiving the prestigious Japan Ceramics Society Award. In 1991 he was named an intangible cultural asset of Tajimi city

A mischievous bowl covered in dense ash by the late master Furutani Michio (1946-2000) enclosed in the original signed wooden box. The ash is so thick as to almost pacify the ragged clay surface; its resonant peaks still visible underneath where the clay is roughest. Inside dark charring scars the back of the bowl where flame licked the surface, and rivulets of crusty green vein the gray skin. The bowl is almost 9 inches (22 cm) diameter, over 3 inches (8 cm) to the rim. Three crispy spurs are visible from within, with three more discs of raw earth circling the foot ring. The artists signature is visible along the footring, on back of the bowl. Furutani Michio is one of the Gods of Shigaraki, an artist who wrote the book on Anagama kilns, and one of the more influential artists of the second half of the 20th century. He was born in Shigaraki; graduating the Konan High School of industrial Arts, he moved to further his studies (like so many great artist before him, Kanjiro, Hamada…) at the Kyoto Institute of Industrial Arts in 1964. After breaking out on his own, he started by building an Anagama in Shigaraki in 1970, the first since the middle ages. He was a true pioneer, reviving the tradition and going on to build over thirty kilns over the next thirty years. No other artist has shown such singular dedication to a firing technique. He has been featured in the Nihon Dento Kogei Ten (Japanese Traditional Crafts Exhibition), Nihon Togei Ten (Japanese Ceramic Exhibition) and the Chunichi Kokusai Togei Ten among others. He passed away at the peak of his career. For more on this artists contributions see his book Anagama – Building Kilns and Firing.

We have been long searching after a larger vessel by Morihiro, and at last we have found one to offer. This is a peculiarly shaped vessel decorated with swirling designs in a fractured circle layed over impressed clay and enclosed in the original signed wooden box. The form is quite unique, the split circle motif actually falling from the center around the mouth to form the opposite side. Not apparent when viewing from the side but easily distinguished from above. It is signed on the base and measures 11 inches (28 cm) tall, 9-1/2 by 5 inches (24 x 13 cm) and is in perfect condition. Wada was born in Hyogo prefecture and apprenticed under Kyotos Tomimoto Kenkichi before moving to his current location in 1976. He has been displayed at the Nihon Togei Ten (National Ceramics Exhibition), Nihon Dento Kogei Ten (National Traditional Crafts Exhibition) Gold medal at the Florence International Ceramics Exhibition in 1980 as well as being dispayed at the Victoria Albert and Smithsonian as one representative of modern Japanese ceramics in 1983. He subsequently recieved the Japanese Ceramic Society Award in 1985, a very rare honor.

An iconic work in pale white by Living National Treasure Tsukamoto Kaiji enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Hakuji Karakusa Hachi (white porcelain bowl with Chinese Grass Design). The execution is breathtaking, so perfectly formed it demonstrates clearly the talent for which he was named a Living National Treasure. It is 19 cm (7-1/2 inches) diameter, 8 cm (3 inches) tall and is in excellent condition.
Tsukamoto Kaiji (1912-1990) was fascinated with Song period Hakuji and Seihakuji porcelains and spent his life reviving that tradition. He received a Gold Medal at the 21st Century Exposition in California in 1964. In 1965 he was awarded at the 12th Nihon Dento Kogeiten National Traditional Crafts Exhibition, and was awarded again in 1967, the same year his work was exhibited at the worlds Expo in Montreal. He exhibited with the Nihon Togei Ten national Ceramics Exhibition from its inception in 1971. The following year he was once again awarded at the 19th Nihon Dento Kogeiten National Traditional Crafts Exhibition. He received the prestigious Japan Ceramic Society (JCS) award in 1979, and Japan-China Culture Award in 1980. In 1983 he was designated an Intangible Cultural Property (Living National Treasure) for Seiji and Seihakuji porcelain. Held in The National Museum of Modern Art in Tokyo, The National Museum of Modern Art in Kyoto, The Museum of Oriental Ceramics in Osaka, Aichi Prefectural Ceramic Museum and Menard Art Museum among others. For more see “Japanese Studio Crafts” (1995) by R. Faulkner.

A large open vessel decorated with squirrels in kaki-otoshi style by Shinkai Kanzan enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It is 36 cm tall, 27 cm diameter and in excellent condition. Due to size this will require special shipping consideration.
Shinkai Kanzan was born the grandson of Seifu Yohei III in 1912 and was raised from a baby in the confines of the Gojo-zaka ceramic district of Kyoto, inducted daily into the realm of pottery by his father and grandfather. He graduated the Kyoto Municipal School of Arts and Crafts, and moved on to study painting (after his fathers urging) before returning to ceramics under Kiyomizu Rokubei V and VI. He was first accepted into the Teiten (later Nitten) National Exhibition in 1930, and was displayed there consistently thereafter as well as others, being prized at the 1939 San Francisco Exposition. Just as he was beginning to take off as an artist, he was drafted and sent to China, where he would be captured after the Japanese surrender and spent three years in a Russian Gulag in Siberia. Upon his return to Japan, he branched out on his own; with a unique vision grounded in the roots of the training and instruction he had received before the war, but with a new style and concept to differentiate himself from his peers. In 1951 he was recognized with the Gold Award at the Japanese Art Expo. Following many prizes, in 1974 he was granted the Governors prize at the Nitten, and in 1980 the Nihon Geijutsu-in Sho (Japanese Art Academy prize). In 1989 he was awarded the Kyoto Prefectural Cultural Order of Merit for his life-long endeavors. Works by him are held in the Kyoto National Museum of Modern Art among others.

Mountains rise majestically over meandering inlets on this vase by Living National Treasure Kondo Yuzo enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Yama Sometsuke Kabin (Vase with Mountain Design in Blue). It is 19 cm (7-3/4 inches) tall, 16.5 cm (6-1/2 inches) diameter and in perfect condition. It comes with the original custom made cloth pouch and shiori. For more on this important artist see the recent edition of Arts of Asia Magazine (Spring 2021), A Seeing Eye: Modern Ceramics in Japan During the First Half of the 20th Century by John Wright.
Kondo Yuzo (1902-1985) was born in the Gojozaka district of Kyoto and studied alongside Kawai Kanjiro and Hamada Shoji at the Kyoto Ceramics Reseaerch 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.

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 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 exquisite plate by legendary Okabe Mineo enclosed in a wooden box titled Benishino Hirabachi, annotated inside: Work of Mineo Sensei signed and sealed by Kuroda Totoan. There is something very intimate about this artist and his work, the glaze is thin, reealing the body of the work and you can feel the potters hands in the clay. It is 32.5 cm (13 inches) diameter and in excellent condition.
Okabe Mineo (1919-1990) was born the first son of important artist Kato Tokuro, however the relationship with his father was volatile. When he was 9 Tokuro moved the young family to Seto, where Mineo would graduate the Aichi Prefectural Ceramics School in 1937. After a year at the family kiln, he moved to Tokyo, then joined the army in 1940. He fought against the Americans and would spend several years as a prisoner of war in the Philippines, repatriated to Japan in 1947. He returned to Aichi prefecture, leaving enough distance between himself and his estranged family, and with his wife began producing pottery in Toyoda. In 1953 he met Koyama Fujio; that same year he was awarded the Hokuto prize at the Nitten, and his work was collected by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This was the true beginning of his career. In 1955 he received the JCS award, one of the highest honors for a Japanese potter. By the mid ‘60s. he moved to celadon ware. He changed his name from Kato to Okabe in 1978, to honor his wife who supported his efforts for so many years.

A rare work by Sodeisha founding member Yamada Hikaru of a torn vessel engraved with enigmatic characters. It is 18 cm (7 inches) diameter, 26 cm (10 inches) tall and in excellent condition.
Yamada Hikaru (1924-2001), was born into the family of layman potter and priest Yamada Tetsu, and raised in Gifu after the family home was destroyed in the Great Kanto Earthquake. At the age of 20 he entered the Kyoto ceramics research facility, 15 years junior to those who had inspired the great Mingei movement at that same institution. Somehow escaping overseas service in the war, he met Yagi Kazuo in 1945, and the two formed an instant bond, founding a group for young potters the following year. Compounded by the austerity and poverty they faced as young artists in the immediate postwar, the group grew and along with Kumakura Junkichi, Suzuki Osamu and Yagi Kazuo formed the most influential post war ceramics organization, Sodeisha, as it was, in 1948. They eschewed public competition and espoused the ideas of art for arts sake, negating the ideas of the mingei movement, which stressed function over form. Together, members of the group worked tirelessly to promote modern Japanese pottery for the next several decades both within and outside of Japan. Held in innumerable public and private collections including the National Museum of Modern Art, both Tokyo and Kyoto, Museum of New South Wales and the Victoria Albert.

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.

Pure quiet and calm is embodied in this white Hagi crystal by important female artist Miwa Hanako enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It is 10-1/2 inches (27 cm) tall 5-1/2 inches (14 cm) diameter and in excellent condition.
Miwa Hanako was born the grand daughter of Living National Treasure Miwa Kyusetsu XI, daughter of Kyusetsu XII who has sought to incorporate sculpture into the realm of traditional Hagi ware. She was raised surrounded in the world of Hagi-ware. She graduated the Tama Art University in 1995, and has since had an impressive selection of shows throughout Japan and abroad. For more see Touch Fire; contemporary Japanese Ceramics by Women Artists (2009, Linda Muehlig).

A quintessential Mashiko work by important artist Hamada Shoji enclosed in a wooden box annotated by his son Shinsaku. It is 11-1/2 inches (29 cm) square. 7 cm (2-1/2 inches) tall and in excellent condition.
Hamada Shoji 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.

A lovely small koro decorated with Chinese Bell Flowers by Kiyomizu Rokubei VI enclosed in a signed wooden box titled Kikyo Koro. Inside the box appears to be written Seimei Gama Yakisei (fired in the Seimei kiln) signed Rokubei. It is 10.5 cm (4 inches) tall and in excellent condition. A quintessential piece by Rokubei VI.
The Kiyomizu family potters managed one of the most productive workshops in Kyoto’s Gojozaka district throughout the second half of the Edo period. From the Meiji they began producing tableware for export and special pieces for government-sponsored exhibitions under Rokubei IV. Rokubei V led the kiln into the 20th century, and his son, Rokubei VI (1901-1980), would assume lead in 1945, taking the kiln through the tumultuous years after the Second World War. He graduated the Kyoto Municipal School of Arts and Crafts, then the Kyoto Special School of Painting, before apprenticing under his father in 1925. He exhibited frequently and was often prized at the National Bunten, Teiten and Nitten Exhibits, where he later served as judge. He was also lauded abroad, in the USSR, France, Italy, Belgium and was appointed a member of the Japan Art Academy. In 1976 he was awarded the Order of Cultural Merit for his lifelong devotion to promoting Japanese pottery traditions. His works are held in numerous museums throughout the globe.

A rare sake set by Kamoda Shoji enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Haiyu Tokkuri-Hai Hitokumi (Ash Glazed Flask and Cups, 1 set). The Tokkuri is 13.5 cm (5 inches) tall, the cups are 6 cm (2-1/4 inches) diameter and all are in excellent condition dating circa 1965.
Kamoda Shoji is without a doubt one of the most important and influential ceramic artists of the 20th century. Born in Osaka in 1933, he studied initially at the Kyoto Municipal University of Art under to be Living National Treasure Tomimoto Kenkichi, graduating in 1955. While in school he was awarded at the Shinshokai Exhibition (where he would be often exhibited) and his graduating project was purchased by the University Museum. While working a stint at a commercial kiln, he was accepted into the Contemporary Japanese Ceramics Exhibition. In 1958 he took up residence at the Tsukamoto Ceramics Research Kiln in Mashiko, establishing his own kiln there in 1961. That same year he was accepted into the National Traditional Arts and Crafts Exhibition (Nihon Dento Kogeiten) where he would exhibit until 1967. In 1964 he boldly stepped onto the stage with pieces in the Modern Japanese Ceramics Exhibition held at the National Museum of Modern Art in Kyoto; International Contemporary Ceramics Exhibition held at Tokyo National Museum, and the New Generation of Ceramics Exhibition held at the Goto Museum. He would receive the JCS (Japan Ceramics Society) Award that year, one of the most important prizes for a Japanese potter. In 1966 his work was presented in New York at the First Japan Art Festival, granting him international acclaim to add to his growing domestic reputation and he would receive the JCS Gold Prize that year, cementing his reputation. Thereafter his work was much celebrated in the world of invitational exhibitions and he would receive many awards. In 1969 he moved his kiln, and would again relocate a decade later. He died suddenly at the age of 49 in 1983. His work would be the subject of a multitude of posthumous exhibitions, starting with the Tochigi Prefectural Museum on the third anniversary of his death, and the following year at the Tokyo National Museum of Modern Art. His work is held in the National Museums of Modern Art, both in Tokyo and Kyoto, Hiroshima Prefectural Museum of Art, Tochigi Prefectural Museum of Art, Iwate Museum of Art, Victoria & Albert Museum, Minneapolis Institute of Arts, and Beijing Palace Museum among many others. For more see: Japanese Ceramics Today: Masterworks from the Kikuchi Collection (1983), Japanese Studio Crafts by Rupert Faulkner (1995) or Into the Fold: Contemporary Japanese Ceramics from the Horvitz Collection (2015).