Catalog: Artists (1023)

A classic work echoing the Zen aesthetic of Boku-seki (Brush-traces) of Zen lore by Shigemori Yoko enclosed in a signed wooden box titled simply Guinomi. It is 7 cm (just less than 3 inches) diameter, 5 cm (2 inches) tall and in excellent condition enclosed in a box signed by her nephew Tetsu.
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.

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.

A wide Hai (sake cup) covered in earthen glaze with vibrant blue lines undulating through the basin by Shigemori Yoko enclosed in a signed wooden box. The blue has worked its way into the pale glaze, creating a stark texture in the riches line through the bowl. It is 9.2 cm (roughly 3-3/4 inches) diameter and in excellent condition, 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.

A deep bowl of textured clay covered in black glaze with an abstract of dribbled silver in the center by Shigemori Yoko enclosed in a signed wooden box titled Hai (Sake cup). It is 8.2 cm (3-1/4 inches) diameter and in excellent condition, enclosed in a wooden 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.

A selection of Five variously designed and colored sake cups by Ono Emi, each enclosed in the original signed wooden box. They are 5-7.5 cm (2-3 inches) diameter, roughly the same height, and all are in excellent condition. These are being offered separately. Ono Emi worked with pottery alongside Ono Hakuko for 20 years. Married to Ono Jiro, she assisted him at his studio for 15 years, She began exhibiting her own works in 2014, and has participated in a number of private and juried 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.”

A blue whirlpool spirals in the bowl of this perfectly formed celadon cup by Yagi Akira enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It is 2-3/4 inches (7 cm) diameter and in excellent condition.
This name is a must have in any collection of modern Japanese Pottery. Akira was born in Kyoto in 1955, son of Avant-garde Yagi Kazuo (1918-1979) one of the founding members of Sodeisha. Akira was voted one of the 20 most important living artists by Honoho, Japans premier printed ceramic forum. Works by the artist are held in the British Museum, Victoria Albert Museum, Cleveland Art Museum, Sackler Gallery of the Smithsonian and Tokyo Museum of Modern Art among many others. He was also the recipient of the Japan Ceramic Society (JCS) award in 1998, one in a long and prestigious list of awards.

A fantastic sculptural Bizen vase by Ajiki Hiro (b. 1948) enclosed in the original signed wooden box dating circa 1995. The vase is roughly 14 inches (35 cm) tall and very heavy, the entire piece carved and cored from a solid block of clay. Hiro is an artist versed in many of Japans ceramic traditions. He fires Shino, Oribe, Seto, Raku, Bizen and Hagi styles as well as styles all his own. His daring Bizen forms have been compared to those of Kakurezaki Ryuichi, and in fact the two often collaborate and this was likely fired in that potters kiln. He has been displayed nationally at the Nihon Dento Kogei Ten (Japanese Traditional Crafts Exhibition) and received grand prize at the Tanabe Museum's Contemporary Tea Forms exhibition among many others. He lives and pots in Shimane when not out traveling Japan or the world.

A whimsical koro by Takauchi Shugo enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled oribe Koro. It appears to dance, two arms up in the air with the music, a slight jaunt in its three legged step. It is 11 inches (28 cm) tall and in excellent condition.
Takauchi Shugo was born in Tokyo in 1937. He opened his kiln in Mashiko at the age of 31. He has exhibited at the Nihon Dento Kogeiten National Traditional Crafts Exhibition, Nihon Togeiten National Ceramics Exhibition and as well as Gendai Nihon Togeiten National Modern Ceramics Exhibition in addition to innumerable public and private exhibitions. He is recipient of the Order of Cultural Merrit from Tochigi Prefecture, and his works have been selected for international exhibitions (Paris, London, Denmark and America) and work by him is held in the V&A, The Art Gallery of New South Wales. For more see the Book “Japanese Studio Crafts” (1995) by Rupert Faulkner of “Fired with Passion” (2006) by Beatrice Chang and Samuel J Lurie.

Lug handles hang gently from the side of this blue-glazed Hagi vase by Richard Milgrim enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It is 9-1/2 inches (24.5 cm) tall, 4-1/2 inches (11 cm) diameter and in excellent condition.
Born in New York in 1955, Richard travelled to Japan in 1977 where he spent a year researching various ceramic traditions here. Returning to Japan in 79, he apprenticed under Iwabuchi Shigeya, and began studying the Way of Tea at Urasenke. His first private exhibition was held in 1981, and over the following years studied various traditions under Tahara Tobei (Hagi), Fujiwara Yu (Bizen) and Kato Koemon (Mino), establishing his own kiln in 1985. Since then his list of exhibitions is impressive, both domestic and abroad. For more see Tea Ceramics Artist, Richard Milgrim (2007) Works by this artist are held in the V&A London, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Minneapolis Institute of Art and many many others.

An exquisite deep blue covers the dark iron-rich clay of this Shino Vase by Kato Toyohisa enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Ash Purple “no” Glaze Vase. Here he plays with sound, substituting the character for purple (shi) for the usual character Shi in Shino. It is 11-1/2 inches (28 cm) tall and in excellent condition.
Toyohisa was born in 1962. His work is both original and fresh and his challenging pursuit of Mino ceramics is evident in both his contemporary pieces and his traditional ones. He first exhibited at the Asahi Ceramics Exhibition in 1983, and was awarded the rising star award. That same year he was awarded at the Tajimi City (home to innumerable Mino potteries) Art Exhibition. He has also exhibited and or been prized at the Tokai Dento Kogei ten, Mino Togei Ten, Issui Kai Ten and Gendai Chato Ten (modern Tea Ceramics Exhibition). In addition is a long list of Private exhibitions both domestic and abroad.

A large Oshimon Kaki Vase by Ota Itaru enclosed in the original signed wooden box exhibited at the 9th Nihon Togei Ten National Exhibition. The entire surface is impressed with inverse pyramids, and patterned with dark and light triangles. An incredibly exacting design perfectly executed. The vase measures 16 inches (40 cm) tall, 11 inches (28 cm) diameter and is in fine condition. It comes with the original placard from the exhibition, as well as a copy of the exhibition catalog, and a clipping from the Mainichi Shinbun Newspaper in which the piece is visible in a photograph.
Born into the tumultuous post war era in 1948, Ota Itaru was subjected to the breakdown and rebuilding of Japanese society and culture throughout his early life. He graduated the Tokyo Institute of Technology in 1972, and opened his own kiln in 1975. He has since displayed at the Nihon Togeiten (National Ceramics Exhibition), Nihon Dento Kogei Ten (National Traditional Crafts Exhibition), Dento Kogei Shinsaku Ten (Traditional Crafts New Exhibition) and has been awarded Governors prize at the Saitama Prefectural Exhibition. Due to size the cost of shipping will be assessed separately from the list price.

An organic form by Ikegami Kazuo enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Bitchu Obuje. It is 8-1/2 x 7-1/2 x 9 inches (21.5 x 19 x 23 cm) and is in fine condition.

Air bubbles appear trapped in the glaze like a thin slab of ice. This is a fantastic Chozara by Inoue Yoshihisa enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It measures 30-1/2 x 9 x 1 inches (77 x 23 x 2.5 cm) and is in perfect condition. Due to size the cost of shipping will be accrued separately for this item.
Yoshihisa (b. 1947) studied ceramics under Kiyomizu Rokube VI, certainly one reason for his emphasis on sculptural concerns. His work has often been accepted to the Nitten National Exhibition, as well as the All Japan New Crafts Exhibition where he received the Members prize, and the Kofukai-ten.

A large footed Bizen slab by Isezaki Shin exhibited at the 13th Nihon Togei Ten in 1995 enclosed in the original signed wooden box and retaining the original exhibition labels. It is 52 x 51.5 x 8.5 cm (20 x 20-1/2 x 3-1/2 inches) and is in fine condition. This is the same year he was awarded at the 42nd National Traditional Crafts Exhibition. Shin Isezaki (b. 1965) is the second son of important Okayama Prefecture intangible cultural property Isezaki Mitsuru. Studied under his father from Junior High age, he was first recognized at the age of 24 when he was awarded at the 40th Okayama Ken-ten art exhibition in 1989. He has since exhibited with and or been prized at the Tanabe Art Museum Modern Forms in Tea Exhibition, Chugoku Dento Kogeiten Regional Art Exhibition, Nihon Togeiten National Ceramic Exhibition, Nihon Dento Kogeiten National Traditional Crafts Exhibition, and this all beforehe opened his own kiln in Inbe in 1999.

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.

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).

An angular pottery form covered in Seto glaze by Kawamoto Taro enclosed in the original signed wooden box. The pierced sides are reminiscent of an oki-goro (an incense burner placed over a dish in which incense burns). It is 18 x 8 x 9 inches (46 x 20 x 23 cm) and in excellent condition, consistent with works dating from the later 80s.
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 contemprorary ceramics in Japan, Vol. 74.