Catalog: Artists (1023)

An iconic large tea bowl by Mino legend Kawamoto Goro enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Haiyu Chawan. It is 13 cm (5 inches) diameter, 9 cm tall and in excellent condition. 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. Much lauded the list is much 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.

A chawan decorated with dramatic geometrics by Shigemori Yoko enclosed in a signed wooden box titled Square Triangle Circle Chawan. The brushwork is clearly spontaneous, as the best of the Zen artists of centuries past. Lines scored into the surface are improviso, the entire impulsive without being overbearing, freehand and spur of the moment. There is no sense of premeditation. The bowl is 14.5 cm diameter, 8 cm tall and in excellent condition enclosed in a box annotated by her nephew.
Shigemori Yoko (1953-2021) was born in Kagoshima. Yoko came to Kyoto where she initially studied painting at the Kyoto Tankidai Art College, then moved to ceramics at the Kyoto Municipal Art University where she studied traditional pottery techniques under Kondo Yutaka before entering advanced courses under Yagi Kazuo, graduating in 1979. Her first solo exhibitions were held while still a student, at Gallery Iteza in Kyoto. She eschewed the world of competitive exhibitions in favor of the intimacy of private galleries, and her list of solo exhibitions is expansive. She received the Yagi Kazuo prize in 1986 and 1988 at the Nihon Gendai Togeiten. She was one of five artists featured in Toh, volume 76, The first issue dedicated to Kyoto Potters. Toh was at the time the most in depth survey of important contemporary potters published in 1993. Her work is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

Ethnic designs in brilliant crimson red decorate this ewer by Yoshikawa Mitsuru enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Aka-e no Binshi (Red Decorated Server). It is 15 x 12 x 15 cm (6 x 4-3/4 x 6 inches) and is in excellent condition. Together with the sake cups and sake pot, this would be a wonderful service set for two. Anyone wishing to purchase this group will receive a proper discount.
Yoshikawa Mitsuru was born in Kyoto in 1949, graduating the Kyoto Municipal University of Arts advanced studies in ceramics in 1976. He has been exhibited at the Asahi Craft Exhibition, Nihon Togeiten National Ceramics Exhibition, Asahi Togeiten Ceramics Exhibition and his works have been collected by Kyoto City. He has been picked up by many of Japan’s preeminent galleries, including private exhibitions at the prestigious Takashimaya and Kuroda Toen of Tokyo’s Ginza District.

The purity and perfection of this takes your breath away. It is a gorgeous piece by Hattori Tatsuya and comes enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Ginsai Wan. The bowl is 12 x 13.5 x 8 cm (4-1/2 x 5-1/4 x 3 inches) and is in perfect condition, from the artist late 2020. He is a master of silver/platinum/titanium glazes, and his forms, especially his tea pots, are very popular and generally sell out quickly.
Hattori Tatsuya was born in Tajimi, home of Shino and Oribe wares, in 1978 and was raised in the vibrant pottery scene of that region. However, he had no interest in pottery until after graduating with a degree in business from university. Taking a hiatus from studies and work, he stumbled onto the path of the potter by accident (or was it fate). He entered the Tajimi Ceramics Research Facility, graduating in 2004. His work was selected for display at the Mashiko Ceramic Art Exhibition and Asahi Togeiten Ceramics Exhibition that year. He took a position as a ceramic designer at a local company, working nights and weekends on his own art and promoting himself in the off hours until he felt he could afford to devote himself completely to the wheel. At first he concentrated on making decorative works, but soon began moving steadily toward functional vessels, enjoying the dialog between the work and the user.

A pair of exquisite fluted porcelain bottles decorated in rich color by Living National Treasure Tokuda Yasokichi I enclosed in the original signed wooden box. Flowers in various color, red, yellow, purple and blue rise up between patterned undulating bands of green, the definition clear and precise. Each is signed on the base in a yellow seal Kutani Yasokichi. They are 15 cm tall and in perfect condition.
Tokuda Yasokichi I (1873-1956) was born into a family of textile dyers in Ishikawa prefecture, but entered the ceramics world under the tutelage of his Brother Matsumoto Sahei, specializing in the Yoshidaya decorative technique of Kutani ware in 1890. In 1922 he received Imperial patronage. He was named one of the first living National Treasures in 1953 (and his grandson, Yasokichi III would also be named such).

A refined form covered in a blast of liquid ash by Kojima Kenji enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Iga Mimitsuki Hanaire. This has a wide flange flaring from the mouth, with two square handles on the square neck which comes off a square pedestal of the bulbous body of the vase. Very unusual design, and quite compelling. It is 31 cm (over 12 inches) tall and in excellent condition.
Kojima Kenji was born in Aichi Prefecture in 1953 and graduated from the Tokoname Ceramic Vocational High School in 1971. In 1973 he spent a year in Iga before moving to Bizen for a five year apprenticeship with Konishi Tozo. He returned to Iga in 1979 and built an anagama. He has exhibited with the Nihon Togeiten National Ceramic Exhibition, Asahi Togeiten Ceramic Art Exhibition and Chunichi International Ceramic Exhibition as well as an impressive list of solo exhibitions in some of Japan’s top galleries.

A splendid antique cut glass cup selected and decorated by contemporary female lacquer artist Arai Etsuko enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Glass Maki-e Hai, Yoake (Glass Sake Cup named Breaking Dawn). She said that when she first saw the glass in a street market, she instantly envisioned how the engraved patterns could be accentuated by colors and powdered precious metals. Here an interesting comparison of techniques is possible. The bowl is decorated outside, first with layers of color, then powdered gold applied over top. The rim is covered in dark blue lacquer sprinkled with gold, with red and blue diamonds alternating with clear glass connected to the stem by strands of gold. The base on the other hand, has been decorated in the opposite order, with powdered gold first, then a red sunrise in the center overtop of which is applied the colored lacquer. Allowing the pattern to be visible through the glass, but not from the decorated underside. It is 10.5 cm (4 inches) tall and in excellent condition, directly from the artist this year.
Arai Etsuko (born in Kanagawa in 1980) apprenticed under Hiroshi Okada after Graduating the Kyoto School of Traditional Arts in 2003. For seven years she learned the arts of maki-e and kanshitsu, nunobari and inlay, working both on new pieces, as well as in the restoration of antique items, giving her a deep understanding of the various processes of lacquer over the centuries. In 2010 she moved out on her own. Her work is characterized by the exquisite mixture of traditional lacquer ware manufacturing methods and the delicate and gentle style unique to a woman. Her work has been exhibited at various venues throughout Japan, including the Asahi Craft exhibition and Kyoten. She was designated a Traditional Craftsperson (Dento Kogeishi) of Kyoto in 2014, Nationally in 2015. In a recent conversation she said she was drawn to the world of Lacquer by its glitter and sheen. Unlike drawing or pottery, the creation of lacquer art has no immediate sense of gratification, the imagery is brought out through layers over weeks or months, often invisible until the final stages. A most demanding medium, patience and diligence are paramount, but the result is unlike any other artform, and with proper care, can be passed through the generations, an heirloom to span the centuries.

The Tea bowls from this family are a textbook image of kiln effects, and this piece by Furutani Taketoshi is no exception. Cleft marks in the red clay remain where it was stacked in the kiln, surrounded by running ash, an alpine pool of crystal green forming inside with hints of lavender peering through the blast of green. The form is bold with a slight taper, both inviting and yet trapping the aroma of the frothy green tea. The rim undulates slightly, and cups gently to the lips on the drinking side. It comes with the original signed wooden box titled Shigaraki Shizen-yu Tsutsu Chawan. The bowl is 12 cm (5 inches) diameter, 10 cm (4 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 stack of fused Bowls hollowed out as a vase by Satonaka Hideto enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled simply Utsuwa dating circa 1976. During the post war era a great amount of research was done in reviving ancient firing techniques, many potters and scholars working on medieval kiln excavations would unearth stacks of bowls and mounds of fused pots where kilns had collapsed during firing dating from the Heian period on to the age of the climbing kiln. These were well known to ceramic artists and researchers at the time. Here Hideto brings one such deformation into the modern world, perhaps a commentary on the fragility of our human efforts. Ordinarily fused and covered in encrustation of ash, here the artist has taken the opposite effect, with a brilliant crackled yellow glaze. It is 7-1/2 inches (19 cm) tall and in excellent condition.
Satonaka Hideto (1932-1989) was born in Nagoya and graduated advanced studies at the prestigious Tokyo Kyoiku University Arts Department in 1956, then went on to study under Miyanohara Ken, exhibiting his first ceramic sculpture with the Totokai in 1961, and garnering the Itaya Hazan Prize for it. Throughout the ‘60s he would exhibit there earning several awards as well as at the Sankikai. From 1970 he moved to the circle of Yagi Kazuo, and would fall under the umbrella of Sodeisha. Two of his works would be selected and awarded for the first Nihon Togeiten National Ceramics Exhibition in 1971. The following year he would be awarded at the Faenza International Ceramics Exhibition. He would leave Sodeisha after the death of his mentor in 1979. He would participate in the Valauris International Ceramic Biennale among many other overseas extravaganzas. While working as a professor at the Bunkyo University Art Department his life ended suddenly in an automobile accident in 1989. Six works by him are held in both the National Museums of Modern Art in Tokyo and Kyoto

A lovely lavender-tinged gray vase swept with brush strokes like fleeting snow in the Utsutsukawa-yaki tradition by Yoshioka Gagyu enclosed in the original singed wooden box titled Shirasagi Hanaire (White Egret Vase). Two birds stand against the cold on a long barren branch tinged with silver. Truly exquisite. The vase is 19.5 cm (just less than 8 inches) tall and in excellent condition.
Gagyu’s first exhibited piece at the age of 20 in 1955 took the governors prize at the Nagasaki Kenten Prefectural Art Exhibition. That was the beginning of a prestigious career prolific with awards culminating in being named an important cultural property for Nagasaki prefecture in 1975 (the state version of a living national treasure) he has also displayed with the Nihon Dento Kogeiten (National Traditional Crafts Exhibition) among many others, and has an impressive number of private exhibitions. He is credited with reviving the lost art of Utsutsukawa-yaki, and is a very important figure in modern Arita.

A Pottery box by pioneering female artist Tsuboi Asuka made as a flowing roll of golden brocade inspired by traditional textiles enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It is 19 x 15 x 17 cm (7-1/2 x 6 x 6-1/2 inches) and is in excellent condition.
Tsuboi Asuka was born in Osaka in 1932, but the family moved to Tokyo when she was 12. She graduated the prestigious and progressive Jiyu Gakkuen (A progressive girls School established in 1921) then moved to Kyoto in 1953, Kyoto, the city she has called home for half a century, where she would spend a year at the Sentsuji Yusai Kobo before enlisting under Living National Treasure Tomimoto Kenkichi. Her first works were exhibited that year at the Shinshokogeikai (where she would be awarded in 1955). She worked to establish the Joryu Togei Ten Ceramic Exhibition for female artists in 1957, to allow women a venue to exhibit works in what was then a very male dominated field. In 1961 she was accepted into the Asahi Togeiten Ceramic Exhibition, and in 1966 would be selected to represent contemporary Japanese ceramics in China, the following year saw he take a study trip to Korea, and in 1970 to Thailand while her work was exhibited at the Tokyo National Museum of Modern Art, which would purchase her work in ’71 . She would be awarded at the Canadian International Ceramic Exhibition in 1973, and since her work has been exhibited throughout the globe. Here work to promote the arts was recognized in 1988 with the Kyoto Prefectural Order of Arts and Culture Award, and in 1991 with the Kyoto city Order of Cultural Merit, and again in 1992 with the prefectural Order of Cultural Merit. All culminated in her receiving the Japan Ceramic Society Gold prize, perhaps the most important award allowed a potter, in 2004. Her work can be found in Museum collections including several works in both the Museums of Modern Art in Tokyo and Kyoto, Fukui and Wakayama Prefectural Museums of Art, Suntory Museum, Shiga Togei No Mori Museum, Ariana Museum, Yale University Museum and The International Ceramics Museum in Faenza. According to the book Touch Fire: Tsuboi Asuka's influence on the ceramic arts of Japan cannot be overstated. As one of the first women to aggressively challenge the male hierarchy, she forged a role for women ceramic artists that previously did not exist in Japan. Tsuboi was the charismatic leader of the influential Kyoto women's ceramic group Joryū Tōgei (Women's Association of Ceramic Art) when it was first formed in 1957. This group was pivotal not only in providing a platform for women to participate as artists in their own right, but in giving them the opportunity to present their challenging work to the public.

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

A cloud of terracotta clay floats over rays of white emanating down through the gray body of this object by Kawasaki Chitaru enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Light Cloud. The complete lack of glaze accentuates the rich color of the clay body, tiny “tombo-no-me” (dragonfly eyes) salting the surface. It is 20 x 12.5 x 23 cm (8 x 5 x 9 inches ) and in excellent condition, with the artist name and date engraved on the side.
Kawasaki Chitaru (born in Hiroshima, 1938) has dedicated his life since 1988 to promote the development of a pottery village in Bayat, Klaten, Central Java. Splitting his time between there and his position at Kyoto Seika University. Retired in 2008, and now serving as an Honorary Lecturer, he started to focus on education program by building and developing a craft school in that village. As an artist, he has done a lot of art activities and exhibitions since 1960. His latest solo exhibition “Knot, Connection, and String Playing” was exhibited in National Gallery, Jakarta, Indonesia, in 2012. Among other awards he was granted Grand Prix at the 1995 “1st Busan International Exhibition”, Busan, South Korea. In 1983 he garnered Silver in the Ceramic Design Competition organized by the Ministry of International Trade and Industry, and in 1982 his work was selected for the Japan Modern Ceramic Exhibition which traveled throughout Europe.

An ever-folding band of gold flecked fabric patterned with colors and waves like an elaborate obi (sash) seems to bind the cloak of rough dark clay forming this vase by Nakamura Takuo (Baizan III) enclosed in the original signed wooden box. Atop a gilded Karasu-guchi finial, a tradtional shape called a Crows Mouth, provides the top and a spattering of ash sprays out a random pattern against the rigid form. It is 21 x 7.5 x 31 cm (8 x 3 x 12 inches) and is in excellent condition.
Nakamura Baizan (Takuo) was born in 1945, the second son of Baizan II. After working a regular job for a while, he returned to Kanazawa in 1978 to apprentice under his father, finding he could not get pottery out of his skin. His dark forms wrapped in iridescent colors like colorful obi on a subdued Kimono have received much acclaim, and his work is held in the Metropolitan Museum of Art New York, Chicago Museum of Art, and the Kanazawa 21st century Museum of Contemporary Art among others.

A beautiful Caribbean blue bottle by Karatsu Legend Inoue Toya enclosed in the original signed wooden box. The color is quite unusual in his oeuvre, as is the paddled sloping shape. It is 24 cm (9-1/2 inches) tall, 12.5 cm (5 inches) diameter at the base and is in excellent condition.
Inoue Toya (1942-2013), graduated the prestigious Nihon Daigaku in 1966, having spent his student years excavating ancient Karatsu shards and researching their techniques. He apprenticed under the multifaceted potter Nushi Ensai. In 1969 he opened his own kiln. He served as head of the Karatsu Ceramic Cooperative from 1983-2010 while focusing on private exhibitions held at Department stores and galleries throughout Japan. In 2008 his lifetime achievements were recognized with a private exhibition in Los Angeles.

Delicious kiln effects are displayed across the surface of this triangular slab by Sugimoto Sadamitsu enclosed in the original signed wooden box. The three sides measure 33 x 36 x 41 cm (13 x 14 x 16 inches) and it is in excellent original condition.
Sugimoto Sadamitsu was born in Tokyo in 1935. A strong adherent to the Zen tradition, Sadamitsu established his own kiln at 33, receiving the kiln name from his mentor Daitokuji priest Tachibana Oki. His Zen studies have refined the spiritual side of his work, and all of his wood fired ceramics have a quiet and confident power. He has spent his life in the research of kohiki, Shigaraki Iga and Raku wares, and is more than well known in tea circles for the discriminating soul of his works. For more information on this artist see the book Fired with passion : contemporary Japanese ceramics ISBN 1-891640-38-0.

A set of five long narrow plates by Minami Ayako enclosed in the original signed wooden box upon which is written the titles of each dish. Each dish is uniquely decorated, with Rimpa style waves, flowers in snow, a golden sun peering from behind clouds, the moon rising through the mist, or just swirling colorful clouds. A beautiful set perfect for tapas or small hors d’ oeuvres (or perhaps eel for the daring crowd). Each plate is 6 x 34.5 cm (2-1/2 x 13-1/2 inches) and all are in new condition.
Minami Ayako was born the daughter of Kutani artist Minami Shigmasa in Ishikawa prefecture, 1984. While working at the family kiln, she studied, graduating from the Kutani Prefectural Ceramic Research Facility in 2007. The following year her work was awarded at the Kyoto Kogei Crafts Biennale and was selected for exhibition at the Nihon Dento Kogeiten National Traditional Crafts Exhibition. Her work has since been exhibited there, as well as the Ishikawa Traditional Crafts Exhibition (awarded), Kanazawa Crafts Exhibition and Traditional Kutani Ware Crafts Exhibition (collected by the Ishikawa Prefectural Museum of Art). She received honorable mention at the 73rd Issuikai Exhibition in 2011.

A black Porcelain vessel from the Divergence series which the artist says “can be used to serve sake or tea” titled Kuro Jiki Tsugiguchi (Black porcelain pourer). It is 9 x 15 x 6 cm (3-1/2 x 6 x 2-1/2 inches) and is in excellent condition, from the artist late last year. Matsumura Jun was born in Chiba Prefecture on the outskirts of Tokyo in 1986. He graduated from the University of South Alabama in 2010, and graduated the Tajimi Municipal Ceramics Research Facility in 2015, then went on to the Utatsuyama Research Facility in Kanazawa, leaving there in 2018. His transcendent, innovative forms have set the heart of the ceramic world racing and he has been awarded at the exhibition Tradition and Innovation-Japanese Ceramics Now as well as the 3rd Triennale of KOGEI in Kanazawa and have been presented at TEFAF in Maastricht, Art Fair Tokyo in 2018, Art Collect in London and Art Kyoto in 2019.

A heavily encrusted glossy sake flask by Tanimoto Kei compliments a Guinomi displaying a rustic matte finish by his son Tanimoto Takeshi enclosed in the original signed wooden boxes titled Iga Tokkuri and Iga Guinomi respectively. Bīdoro glaze (a type of natural wood ash glaze formed by firing, named from vidro, the Portuguese word for glass) coalesces into a yellow crystal rivulet on one side of the Tokkuri, opposite is a shadow of gray ash. The Cup on the other hand, bears heavy scorch marks and a more prominent texture, perfect for handling, and yellow green glaze accentuates the various textures beneath. The Tokkuri is 14 cm (5-1/2 inches) tall, the guinomi 7 cm tall, roughly the same diameter. Both are in excellent condition.
Tanimoto Kei was born the son of Iga artist Tanimoto Kosei in 1948. In 1970 he apprenticed under Hineno Tatsuzo in Mino, and in his youth he experimented widely in many mediums, design, and even spent a few years in Paris learning the art of etching. He returned to Japan in 1977 to devote himself to the plastic arts.
Tanimoto Takashi was born in Mie the eldest son of Tanimoto Kei in 1978. After graduating the literature department of Doshisha university, he entered the Kyoto prefectural ceramic school, then apprenticed under Mori Tadashi. In 2004 he spent a year abroad in Italy, returning to Japan in 2006 to launch his solo career.

An amorphic vessel covered in organic green by Sodeisha member Kumakura Junkichi enclosed in the original signed wooden box dated the 20th day of April 1970. It is 10 inches (25 cm) tall and in excellent condition. A major retrospective of his life work was held this summer at the Shigaraki Togeinomori Museum. Kumakura Junkichi (1920-1985) began working in ceramics in the 1940s, his works submitted to innumerable National and International Exhibitions including the Japan Art Festival, New York and the international Arts and Crafts Exhibition in Florence Italy. He also submitted to the Brussels World Exposition and helped design murals for the World Exposition Osaka. At the International Ceramics Exhibition, Prague in 1962 he took a silver prize. He was also often exhibited and is in the permanent collection of the Japanese National Museum of Modern Art as well as the National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto. Along with Suzuki Osamu, Hikaru Yamada and Yagi Kazuo, Junkichi was one of the founding members of the influential Sodeisha (Crawling Through Mud Association), a group of revolutionary post war ceramic artists whose influence remains strong today.

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

A wine glass with design of undulating colored ribbons in colored lacquer, gold and mother of pearl designed by Okada Yuji at his Shiun studio enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It is roughly 8 cm (3-1/4 inches) diameter, 21 cm (8-1/4 inches) tall and in perfect condition.
This is not dishwasher safe

An incredibly elegant form by Ikegami Eichi enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Seiji HIsago Kaki (Gourd Shaped vessel). It is 30.5 cm (12 inches) tall and in excellent condition.
Ikegami Eichi was born in Kanazawa City, home of Kutani porcelain, in 1931, and during his time at the Kanazawa University of Art he submitted sculptures and was awarded at the Hokuriku Art Exhibitoin and Ishikawa Modern Art Exhibitions, graduating university in 1953. From 1954 to 1965 he submitted pottery works and was awarded several times at the Ishikawa Prefectural Modern Art Exhibition as well as the Toyama Prefectural Art Exhibition, his work being purchased by Toyama prefecture. In 1958 he was accepted into the Kofukai Exhibition. From 1963-1968 he exhibited with the Asahi Togeiten, and in 1967 joined the Nippu-kai. In 1970 he established in kiln in Kosugi, home of the ancient but nearly forgotten Kosugi-yaki pottery tradition. The same year he was awarded at the Nippukai Exhibition. Since his list of exhibitions and awards is lengthy to say the least, and his work with Kosugi ware has been much lauded. In 1996 he received the Arts and Culture Merit Award from the Toyama Prefectural Board of Education, and in 2001 the Toyama Prefectural Award of Merit, and in 2005 was recognized for his life dedication with the Cultural Award from Toyama Shimbun. The second generation head of his kiln is his daughter Mieko.

Rivulets of ash dribble down the red earth sides of this vase by Nishiura Takeshi enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Echizen Henko. Positioning in the kiln, with one shoulder angled toward the flame, ensure the lip and one rounded corner are charred in that distinct ocher inidicative of the region. Elsewhere the ash is molten green. A great example of this lesser known ancient kiln site. The vessel is 18 x 13 x 17.5 cm (7-1/2 x 5 x 7-1/2 inches) and is in excellent condition.
Nishiura Takeshi was born in Fukui prefecture in 1941, and graduated the Law Depratment of the prestigious Tokyo University in 1965. A decade later, he did an about face and began to follow the path of the potter establishing his first kiln in Echizen in 1975. Later he created a traditional Ana-gama kiln in 1982, where he works with his wife Nakazawa Yoko. He has concentrated on private exhibition, and is one of the few contemporary potters (and my personal favorite) making waves in the world of Echizen.

A small powerful work in clear glass covered in spiraling silver foil with a lid of opaque black by Ogawa Kaoru enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Ruri Koro. The piece is supported on three feet which seem to drip like black honey from the bottom while the same black crowns the six-sided form, rising in flutes to the finial. It is 13 cm (just over 5 inches) tall and in excellent condition.
Okawa Kaoru was born in Niigata in 1940 and graduated the design department of prestigious Tokyo Musashino Art School in 1964. A pioneering glass artist, works were exhibited in Europe and throughout Japan in the 1980s and 90s, receiving top prize at the first Tohoku Glass Art Exhibition in 1990 and again Top Prize at the 1st National Glass Art Exhibition in 1991. The artis then took a position as head of design for Hokuyo Glass in Aomori, famous for Tsugaru Vidoro Glass.

This is a most unique work, a faceted Kurinuki chawan carved and hollowed out from a solid block of clay by Furutani Taketoshi enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Shigaraki Shizen-yu Shinogi Chawan. Shinogi is a term referring to a blade, and is the artist’s term for pieces from which he has cut away the surface. In this case, he carved and formed the outside from a single lump of clay, cutting away to reveal the form. Then he hollowed out the inside, making the interior slightly fluted to make it even lighter and easy to handle. Then the foot was carved away. The entire is a most unique sensory experience. Close your eyes when you rotate the bowl in the palm of your hand before drinking the tea and enjoy the feeling of the ash blasted and ribbed earth. It is 11 cm (4 plus inches) diameter 9 cm (3-3/4 inches) diameter 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 bottle decorated with biblical passages by Araki Takako fired at the kiln of Uchida Koichi enclosed in the original wooden box signed by KOichi. It is the introduction of Mary from the book of Luke. The slender bottle itself is very much in the style and color of Koichi, and one might venture to say he had a hand in its making. The biblical passage is the obvious work of Takako, and on bottom is engraved her signature. The vase is 23 cm (9 inches) tall and in excellent condition.
Araki Takako (1921-2004) was born daughter of a Zen priest in Nishinomiya, Hyogo prefecture between the cities of Osaka and Kobe. Araki devoted herself to the family profession of flower arranging until 1952 when she began to study painting. From 1960 to 1961 she studied sculpting in New York before returning to Japan where she studied ceramics at Kyoto Municipal Polytechnique School (today’s Kyoto Municipal Institute of Industrial Technology), and then in different pottery centers. Her reputation for sculptural ceramics was established in 1979 when she received the grand prize at the Nihon Tôgei Ten National Ceramics Exhibition as well as internationally the silver prize and Grand Prize at Faenza International Ceramic Competition, Italy. In 1996 she was awarded the JCS Gold prize, arguably the most important award for a potter, by the Japan Ceramics Society. Her work is held in the Art Gallery of New South Wales (Australia). For more see Soaring Voices-Contemporary Japanese Women Ceramic Artists, 2007.
Uchida Koichi is a ceramic genius bornin Nagoya in 1969. He travelled extensively to various ceramic centers around the world, surveying environments, techniques and the overall culture of pottery before setting up his own studio in Mie in 1992. He eschews the world of competitive exhibition in favor of the intimate world and direct contact of the private gallery. This has not inhibited his reputation, and at the very young age of 34 was held a solo exhibition of his oeuvre at the Paramita Museum. He has also been exhibited internationally in Australia, China, England, India, Italy, Korea, New York, Spain, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam among others. For more see New Forms New Voices (New Orleans Museum of Art, 2017).

An organic form slabbed and hollowed out from a block of clay by revolutionary Hagi artist Kaneta Masanao enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Hagi Kurinuki Tokkuri. The vessel is covered in pale smooth glaze, like river-rock, some jagged stone worn smooth and polished by centuries of rushing water. It is 15 cm (6 inches) tall and in excellent condition.
Kaneta Masanao likely needs no introduction, certainly one of Hagi’s most well-known and easily identifiable names. Although an eighth-generation potter inheriting an overtly conservative tradition, he has transcended limitations, and was one of the first to begin carrying Hagi into the 21st century. His work evokes a distinct tension between both function and form, and technique and tradition. he has been displayed both nationally and internationally innumerable times. His pieces are in the collection of the Tokyo National Museum of Modern Art, Yamaguchi Prefectural Museum and Museum of Modern Art Brooklyn. He has been displayed at the Nihon Dento Kogei Ten and Nihon Togei Ten among many many others.

A trio of sculptural forms by Takano Moto-o dating from the formative years of modern Japanese crafts at the height of Sodeisha influence in the 1960s. These are being offered as a group for one price. One is distorted, like an apparition, or the world seen through an old pane of glass. The second is like a flute licking back; both in pure white. The third is a square basin with handles decorated with a geometric pattern. The piece on the left in the group photograph is 10 inches (26 cm) tall and comes enclosed in the original signed wooden box All three are in excellent condition.
Takano Moto-o was born into a Kyoto pottery family in 1934, and although trained as a potter of tea ceramics, moved into the world of sculpture, entering Sodeisha in 1966, and would exhibit with the avant garde association until 1983 as well as the National Ceramic Exhibition (Nihon Togeiten). He was selected for the “Contemporary Ceramic Art” exhibition which toured Canada, U.S.A., Mexico and Japan in 1972. Since his work has been exhibited in North and South America, Australia, New Zealand, and various countries in Europe. He focuses on sculptural pursuits, filling the time between with tableware.

Rare aubergine colors underlies the foggy surface of this beautiful deep bowl by Murakoshi Takuma enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Take-hai-yu chawan (bamboo ash glaze chawan). From his most recent firing, he has only a small amount of this Bamboo ash, and when it is gone, that is all. Slightly out of round, it is 12 to 13.5 cm diameter, 9 cm tall.
Murakoshi Takuma is one of those enigmas who simply lives to work with clay. He does not seek to make a living through pottery, but through his primal approach has earned a following which keeps his work in high demand. He was born in Aichi prefecture in 1954 and began his stroll down the pottery path in 1980 under the tutelage of Kyoto potter Umehara Takehira. Favoring very rough Shigaraki glaze, he established his own kiln in 1997 in the Kiyomizu pottery district of Kyoto, then moved to Nagaoka in 2002. Although eschewing the world of competitive exhibitions, he has been picked up by many of Japan’s preeminent galleries, including private exhibitions at the prestigious Kuroda Toen of Tokyo’s Ginza District.

A sculptural form covered in iconic Iga Kiln effects by Toyosaki Nobuhiko of the Korin-kiln in Mie prefecture enclosed in the original signed wooden box. On the convex shoulder, green glass pools crystalline, while a smattering of goma (sesame) ash clings to the bulbous side, gray charring and plenty of flying ash to fill in the blanks. It is 25 cm (10 inches) tall and in excellent condition.
Born in 1955, he graduated Kyoto’s Ritsumeikan University department of Science and Engineering in 1980 before enrolling in the Seto Ceramic Research Facility. In 1982 he moved to Toki City where he apprenticed under the Iga master Kishimoto Kennin. In 1988 he returned to his hometown, establishing his own kiln that same year. He has remained focused on private venues and the intimacy of the private exhibition.

Ripples cover the archaic surface of this flattened vessel by Sakata Jinnai enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Hakudeisai Hajomon Henko (White Clay Wave Patterned Henko) It is 11 x 23 x 32 cm (4 x 9 x 13 inches) and is in excellent condition.
Sakata Jinnai was born in Tokyo in 1943, and began as an apprentice under the legendary Kamoda Shoji in 1964, establishing his first kiln in 1966. His work was selected for display at the Nihon Dento Kogei Shinsaku Ten (National Traditional New Crafts Exhibition) in 1969, and the following year the Nihon Dento Kogei Ten (National Traditional Crafts Exhibition). In 1971 his work could be seen at the first Nihon Togeiten National Ceramics Exhibition. This event would tour the United States and Canada as well. Two years later he would be seen there again, and this time the show would tour South America. In 1977 he would move away from the competitive world of mass exhibitions and focus more on private galleries. He was the first artist selected for display at the newly opened Takashimaya Gallery in New York in 1993. Work by him is held in the collection of the British Museum, Rockefeller Foundation, Sakuma Museum, Waseda Universty Museum, as well as some of Japans holiest sites such as Ise Shrine, Izumo Shrine, Takachiho Shrine, Yakushiji in Nara and both Kodaiji and Enryakuji Temples in Kyoto. Not limited to clay, he also works in painting, Washi hand made paper (from 1995), and glass (from 2000).

Vivid dark ash forms emerald pools in the center of these 5 ogi-men (round fan) shaped slabs by Murakoshi Takuma. Size, shape, color, texture: these are perfect for showing off your signature dish with style. They are roughly 16 x 20 cm (6 x 8 inches), 2 cm (1 inch) thick and in excellent condition, directly from the artist this winter. We have currently not had a box made for these to keep the price and shipping fee down, but one can be prepared if desired for 75 dollars.
Murakoshi Takuma is one of those enigmas who simply lives to work with clay. He does not seek to make a living through pottery, but through his primal approach has earned a following which keeps his work in high demand. If there is anything he is known for, it is without a doubt his legendary status among restaurants and Izakaya as the man to make your food presentation perfect. He was born in Aichi prefecture in 1954 and began his stroll down the pottery path in 1980 under the tutelage of Kyoto potter Umehara Takehira. Favoring very rough Shigaraki glaze, he established his own kiln in 1997 in the Kiyomizu pottery district of Kyoto, then moved to Nagaoka in 2002. Although eschewing the world of competitive exhibitions, he has been picked up by many of Japan’s preeminent galleries, including private exhibitions at the prestigious Kuroda Toen of Tokyo’s Ginza District.

This is the earliest piece in our current exhibition highlighting the work of Masatomo Toi. A bit more aggressive and grungy than the growingly refined works he is creating today. This is like studded leather over a sex pistols T-shirt, and reflects the angst and aggressiveness of the artist when we first met him as a student at the ceramics research facility in Gifu. It is roughly 25 cm (10 inches) tall and in perfect condition. There is a rough edge to one of the pools of glaze at the foot, where it had adhered to the kiln floor, and had to be forcibly removed. It comes directly from the artist with a signed and titled wooden box as well as an exhibition catalog.
Masatomo Toi was born in Aichi Prefecture in 1992, and graduated the Design course at the Tajimi Ceramics Research Facility in 2019. Since he has been developing his series of “Thorny” vessels and objects. At the same time he has been studying the way of tea and other traditional arts such as flower arrangement, and his use of negative space is masterful. His works have been featured in a number of group and juried exhibitions. He will soon depart Japan for a year of study and experimentation abroad, and we expect great things in his future.

A playful Oribe style basin for Bonsai trees by Sugitani Keizo refecting the shapes of his Silent Shadows Series in the design. It is 19 x 19 x 6.5 cm (just less than 8 inches square) and is in excellent condition, directly from the artist. A signed wooden box will be ordered from Keizo upon sale.
Sugitani Keizo was born in Osaka in 1959. In 1982 he graduated the Ceramic Art Institute of the Tekisui Museum of Art. He has selected for a number of group exhibitions including the International Ceramics Competition Mino and the Asahi Art exhibition, where he has been awarded. He has been exhibited at some of Japns top galleries as well as London, Art Miami, Maastricht, New York, Taipei and Shanghai among others.

A charred sake flask turned on a wheel then paddled flat by Isezaki Jun enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Bizen Tokkuri. It is 12 cm (5 inches) tall and in excellent condition.
Isezaki Jun was born the second son to the prominent Bizen family of Isezaki Yozan. With his older brother Mitsuru he studied the plastic arts under the fierce tutelage of his father. He has displayed consistently at the Nihon Dento Kogei Ten (National Japanese Crafts Exhibition) since 1961 and was recipient of the coveted Kaneshige Toyo prize. It was Jun who took up the work of Kaneshige Toyo upon his death, continuing to revitalize and innovate, combining functional forms and modern sculptural shapes. He was the teacher of a host of important artists including Kakurezaki Ryuichi, Wakimoto Hiroyuki and American artists Donna Gilliss among dozens of others. He was named a Living National Treasure (Juyo Mukei Bunkazai or Intangible cultural property) in 2004.