Catalog: Artists (942)

Ash encrusts one side of this flattened Signature form by Shigaraki Legend Furutani Michio enclosed in the original signed wooden box. Opposite is rich red terracotta and in between rivers of molten green glass. It is 45 cm (17-1/2 inches) diameter, and weighs 14 kg (30 pounds) plus the thick Kiri-wood box. This belongs in a museum of contemporary Japanese pottery.
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.

White dots pattern the scalloped swirling form of this vase by Kitamura Junko enclosed in the original signed wooden box. The vase is 7-1/2 inches (19 cm) tall, 5-1/2 inches (14 cm) diameter and in excellent condition.
Kitamura Junko learned under the tutelage of Suzuki Osamu and Kondo Yutaka of the influential Sodeisha. Like Mashiko artist Shimaoka Tatsuzo, her work is influenced by Jomon pottery, however her approach is very different. After impressing patterns into the clay with bamboo and firing once with a dark slip, the impressions are painstakingly filled with white slip, defining the pattern, and fired again. Works by the artist are held in many public collections, including the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo; the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; Houston Museum of Art and Brooklyn Museum of Art among many others. For more on this artist see Touch Fire: Contemporary Japanese Ceramics by Women Artists (2009) or Soaring Voices, Contemporary Japanese Women Ceramic Artists (2009)

An eight sided Shino Yunomi Cup by Suzuki Osamu (Kura) enclosed in the original signed wooden box decorated with triangles in red. A striking work, it is 3 inches wide, the same height (7.5 cm) and is in excellent condition. Osamu was born in Gifu prefecture in 1934, and graduated the Tajimi Technical School ceramics division in 1953. That same year he was awarded at the 6th Dento Kogeiten Traditional Crafts Exhibition. One of the great researchers, he spent many years excavating old kiln sites in an effort to re-invent Shino ware. In 1962 he was exhibited in Prague. And the next year took a prize at the Asahi Ceramic Exhibition. Very much lauded at this time, it culminated in 1969 when he received the JCS Gold award (Japan Ceramic Society), one of the highest honors for a Japanese potter. He would receive the JCS award again in 1982, and by that point be nurturing or inspiring a number of young potters aspiring to the forgotten ways of Shino ware. He was named a Living National Treasure in 1994 for his life-work. Work by him is held in a multitude of public collections throughout the world. For more see “Japanese Studio Crafts, Tradition and the Avant-Garde” (1995) by R. Faulkner.

A flamboyant vase by Kawai Toru enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled: Gosu Mentori Ashitsuki Tsubo. Outside the vase is covered in Gosu blue, inside contrasted with iron red. The shape is all Toru, an artist who took the work of Kanjiro and moved beyond, as represented in this large tri-legged tsubo. The vase is 14 inches (35 cm) tall, roughly 12 inches (30 cm) diameter and in perfect condition.
Toru was born in 1941, the son of Kawai Takeichi. He apprenticed jointly under his father and Grandfather in 1964, making him the last disciple of Kanjiro Kawai, and it is he who seems to have lived up to his mentors expectations, synthesizing the Kawai style and taking it to the next level.

A breathtaking white form of draped porcelain by Nagae Shigekazu enclosed in the original signed wooden box with the original Daimaru Department Store exhibition invitation. Light patterns are almost indiscernible on the surface, incredibly detailed and crisp when viewed close-up. What is surprising about this work is the weight, incredibly light. The piece measures 16 x 16 x 5 inches (41 x 41 x 12 cm) and is in excellent condition. Due to fragility this piece will require special shipping consideration.
Shigekazu (b. 1953) graduated the Seto Industrial School of Ceramics in 1974 Beginning to grab attention in the late 70s, he has striven to perfect porcelain casting techniques, creating one-off shapes and forms previously impossible. He is held in the collection of the V&A (London), LACMA (Los Angeles) and the National Gallery of Australia, Cincinnati and Cleveland Art Museums, Minneapolis Institute of Art, Japan Foundation and many many others. With very low output, this is a rare opportunity to join the worlds top museum collections by acquiring this artist.

Black green and silver bands like a core sample of crustal layers from some fantastic planet decorate the brushed and impressed clay of this large piece by Kyoto Artist Morino Taimei enclosed in the original signed wooden box. The vase is 10-1/2 inches (26.5 cm) tall, 9-1/2 by 5 inches (24 x 12.5 cm) and is in perfect condition. The box as well is like new. Taimei was born in Kyoto in 1934, and was first accepted into the Nitten National Exhibition at a relatively young age in 1957 (a year before graduating the Kyoto Municipal University of Fine Art!). In 1960 he received the prestigious Hokutosho prize at the same National Exhibition. In the early 60s he worked as a guest professor at the University of Chicago. Upon his return to Japan his career began to lift off with a second Hokutosho Prize at the Nitten, followed by The governors prize and others at the Gendai Kogei Ten (Modern National Crafts Exhibition). He was subsequently selected for display at the Kyoto and Tokyo National Museums in 1972 and was accepted into the first Nihon Togei Ten that same year. Since his list of exhibitions and prizes has continued to grow, with subsequent selections in the Tokyo and Kyoto museums of Art, as well as exhibitions in Paris, Italy, America, Canada, Denmark and others. Last year he received the Japan Art Academy Prize, an award to a work of art similar in weight to the bestowing of Living National Treasure to an artist. This puts the artist in a small club, rare and important, adding this to a collection honors the culmination of a life-times work.

A wild work by Kishimoto Kennin enclosed in the original singed wooden box. The large work is of torn and scarred Iga clay, covered with a dusting of natural molten ash pooling as glass in the crevices. It is 11 inches (28 cm) diameter, 13-1/2 inches (34.5 cm) tall.and in fine condition.
Kennin has been working with clay since the 1950s, devouring styles along the way. Shino, Seto, Oribe, Iga and Celadon, all very different approaches which he masters one at a time, extending his unique view of the arts to new realms, and moving on to the next challenge when his appetite and personal genius has been satiated. He was exhibited and prized at the National Japanese Crafts Exhibition (Nihon Dento Kogei Ten), National Ceramics Exhibition (Nihon Togei Ten), Chunichi International Ceramics Exhibition (Chunichi Kokusai Togei Ten) and Asahi Togei Ten among others, and is held in several important international collections. His Iga work is particularly remembered.

A set of five yunomi cups and five matching plates enclosed in the original signed wooden boxes, each uniquely decorated with cobalt designs and striking gold patterns. The cups are 4 inches (10 cm) tall, the plates 5-1/2 inches (14 cm) diameter and all are in excellent condition.
Ando Hidetake was born third generation into a Mino pottery family in Gifu prefecture in 1938. He began an apprenticeship under Kato Tokuro in 1960. A testament to his skill, he was accepted for the first time four years later into the National Traditional Arts and Crafts Exhibition (Nihon Dento Kogei Ten), and followed that by taking governors prize at the Asahi Ceramics exhibition in 1970, and acceptance into the Japanese National Ceramics Exhibition (Nihon Togei Ten) in 1971; since he has displayed often with all of these important events. One of a small group of potters credited with the revival of Shino, he was named an Important Prefectural Cultural Property in 2003 (Gifu-Ken Juyo Mukei Bunkazai, the prefectural version of the Living National Treasure).

It is amazing the number of shades of gray playing across this simple tile-sculpture by Hayami Shiro. Just less than 2 feet (59 cm) tall. There is a small chip in the base (see photos). Due to size shipping will be accrued separately.
Hayami Shiro (b. 1927) was born in Kagawa Prefecture in 1927, and graduated the Tokushima Industrial University in 1949. His first exhibitions did not materialize until 1964, and from there he flourished. From the late 60s he began exhibiting in National Sculpture exhibitions, and has been often awarded; best known for Tile works and stone sculpture. In 2000 he received the International Artistic Cultural Award (Kokusai Geijutsu Bunka Sho). A prominent work by this artist is on semi-permanent display in front of the Freer Gallery, adjacent to the Smithsonian Museum on loan from the Hirshhorn Collection. Other works are held by the Togei No Mori Museum of Shiga Prefecture, Tokyo City Hall and the Aichi Art Culture Center. A piece by this artist was sold at Bonhams in 2007.

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

Who says the work of a woman potter is feminine? This is a powerful Iga work by Watanabe Aiko enclosed in the original signed wooden box. There is nothing sedate about this work, charred and dripping with glassy green glaze, freckled with flying ash; the heavy lug handles jutting from the side slightly off kilter. The vessel is 7 inches (17 cm) tall, roughly the same diameter and in excellent condition.
Aiko established her first Anagama kiln in Shigaraki in 1994, and moved to Iga in 2001 where she built her second kiln. That was a big year of change for her, and she held her first of many private exhibitions in Shibuya, Tokyo, including one just finished at Kuroda Toen. Always building in 2003 she began planning her third Anagama kiln, which was first fired in 2005. A promising young artist still affordable, but with recent media attention that condition may not last.

A spectacular Oni Karatsu Vase by Inoue Toya of the Kyozan Kiln enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It is 10 inches (25 cm) tall 6 inches (16 cm) diameter and 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.

Flame shapes fan up on the sides of this trumpeting bottle by Funaki Kenji enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It is 6-1/2 x 7-1/2 x 9-1/2 inches (16.5 x 19 x 24 cm) and is in fine condition. Funaki Kenji (b. 1927) was born the son of potter Funaki Michitada (1900-1963) in Matsue, Shimane Prefecture. Michitada had been a follower of the Mingei movement closely associated with its founders Kanjiro, Shoji and Leach. Kenji trained under his father in both the traditional styles of Fujina and the slipware styles introduced by Leach and associates and also worked in the Mingei style under Hamada Shoji. Work by him is held in the Mingei-kan Japan Folk-craft Museum of Tokyo, Freer-Sackler of the Smithsonian, the Brooklyn Museum and the V&A in London among many others. For more see “The Ceramic Art of Japan” by H. Munsterberg.

Ash runs in glassy rivulets down the sand textured sides of this large work by Tsuboshima Dohei enclosed in the original signed wooden box. The undulating rim calls to mind ancient firing traditions, the intense heat of the kiln warping the forms as they turn near molten. This exceptional piece is roughly 10 inches (24.5 cm) tall, 11 inches (28 cm) diameter and is in excellent condition. Born in Osaka, 1929, Dohei apprenticed under the eclectic Kawakita Handeishi immediately following World War II, becoming his top pupil, and eventually taking over the kiln in Tsu, Mie prefecture following the death of Handeishi in 1963. Handeishi was a unique bump on the Japanese ceramic landscape, a powerful businessman who took pottery as a hobby, much along the lines of earlier artist Nakamura Shuto, contemporary Kitaoji Rosanjin and Deguchi Wanisaburo. Dohei began large singular exhibitions of his own work in 1967, both in Osaka and Tokyo, and the following year in Yokohama. He continued these beyond his 30 year retrospective held in 1995, adding Nagoya to his list of sites in 2000. His philosophy has been to preserve the dignity of his teacher by both maintaining strong ties with other students of the master, and eschewing the world of large or mass exhibition. Works by the artist are held in the Mie Prefectural Art Museum among others.

I have long wanted to offer a significant piece by this artist, and here is a spectacular Nezumi Shino pair of vases by Wakao Toshisada enclosed in the original signed wooden box. Red tinged white waves boil over the Nezumi-gray arc of the base, a white waxing moon floating above. They measure 9 x 3-1/2 x 12-1/2 and 8-1/2 x 3-1/2 x 10-1/2 inches (23 x 9 x 32 cm and 21.5 x 9 x 27 cm) respectively and are in perfect condition.
Toshisada was born in Tajimi, Gifu prefecture, home of Mino pottery, in 1933. He was first recognized at the New Crafts exhibition of 1960, the same year he was first exhibited at the Central Japan Art Exhibition. Three years laer he made his debut at the Asahi Ceramics Exhibition, following in 1965 with the National Traditional Crafts Exhibition. In 1971 he first exhibited with the Nihon Togeiten (All Japan Ceramics Exhibition) and was awarded the following year the New Mino Artists Prize, gathering acclaim as a leader in the field. After many domestic and International exhibits, he was awarded the Kato Kohei prize in 1986. and was recipient of the prestigious Japan Ceramics Society (JCS) Award in 1989. He was named an intangible cultural asset of Tajimi city in 1995, and of Gifu Prefecture in 2003, and works by the artist are held in the Museum of Modern Art Tokyo, V&A, Freer Gallery and Sackler among many others.

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 large Mimitsuki Vase covered in deeply fissured celadon glaze by Suzuki Sansei (b. 1936) enclosed in the original signed wooden box. The translucent glaze is like that of an agate, shattered with heat, the crackling wide in the thick pale bluish green fog. The vase is 11 inches (28 cm) tall, 5-1/2 inches (13.5 cm) diameter and in perfect condition.
Mitsunari began with a six year apprenticeship under Kawamura Seizan and has received innumerable awards over his 40 year career. He has been displayed at most national juried exhibitions including The Nihon Dento Kogeiten (Traditional Crafts Exhibition) from 1968, The Kogei Shinsaku Ten (New Crafts Exhibition) since 1969, and Nihon Togei Ten (Japanese Ceramic Exhibition) where he received the Exhibition prize in 1981. His works have been purchased as gifts for foreign dignitaries by the Gaimusho. This piece dates circa 1995.

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

Spectacular Hi-iro defines this sake set by Konishi Toko II enclosed in the original signed wooden box. Various shades of color scorch the undecorated flame licked raw earth. A pleasure to drink from in every aspect, every cup offering a new facet. The tokkuri is 5-1/2 inches (14 cm) tall, cups 2-1/4 inches (6 cm) diameter and all is in perfect condition. Toko, of course, learned from his father Toko I (1899-1954) and was succeeded by his own son Toko III.

A ceramic koro incense burner, the stone-like body decorated with a portion of a red ring by Sato Kazuhiko enclosed in the original wooden box with all the exhibition paraphernalia. It is 8-1/2 x 4 x 8 inches (21.5 x 10 x 20 cm) and is in excellent condition. This piece was exhibited at Tokyo’s Nipponbashi Mitsukoshi in 1994 and was published in the December edition of the magazine Fujin Gaho that same year. A copy of the article on the artist is enclosed and the original Exhibition labels are attached.
One of my personal favorites, Sato Kazuhiko was born in Kanagawa prefecture in 1947. He graduated the Tokyo University of Art Ceramic department advanced studies in 1972. Trained under Living National Treasures Tamura Koichi and Fujimoto Yoshimichi, his graduation work was awarded a prize. He held his first solo exhibition the next year, a difficult feat for a young artist. In 1979 his work was displayed in New York’s Bloomingdales Department store, and the following year he was selected for exhibition in Sidney and Melbourne, Australia. Three years later his works would travel to Washington DC and London. From there he blossomed, one can only wonder how he kept up wth the demand or the number of exhibitions he was asked for each year. He is a widely displayed artist and author of many books on the ceramic arts. He also plays guitar, and piano, self taught! For more information on this artist see Modern Japanese Ceramics in American Collections (1993).

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

Flying goma ash dusts the ribbon scalloped sides of this large Bizen vase by Matsumoto Katsuya enclosed in the original signed wooden box. The piece is 12 inches (31 cm) tall, 11 inches (28 cm) wide and in excellent condition. Born in neighboring Hyogo prefecture in 1942, at the age of 29 Katsuya apprenticed under Fujiwara Yu. He opened his own kiln in 1976. In 1982 he debuted at the Nihon Dento Kogei Ten (National Traditional Crafts Exhibition) and has consistently been exhibited there since, followed by both the Chunichi International Ceramics Exhibition and the Asahi Ceramics Exhibition, as well as the National Japanese Ceramics Exhibition.

A ceramic box by Nishibata Daibi enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Senmon Tobako and exhibited at the 53rd Nihon Dento Kogeiten National Traditional Crafts Exhibition. This piece was awarded at the prestigious event. It is 11 x 11 x 4-1/2 inches (28 x 28 x 11.5 cm) and is in fine condition. Nishibata Daibi was born in Tachikui Village, Hyogu in 1976. After graduating the Law Department of Kyoto University, one of the countries most formidable schools, in 1999, the promising young lawyer moved to complete a ceramics course at the prefectural vocational school, and then a stint at the Municipal Industrial Research Institute (Like many of the greats before him, Kawai Kanjiro, Hamada Shoji etc). His first solo exhibition was held at Kuroda Toen in Ginza, quite a feat for a young artist. In 2005 he first exhibited with the Nihon Dento Kogeiten National Traditional Crafts Exhibition. The following year, in addition to that venue, he was exhibited at the Chanoyu Zokei Ten a (Modern Forms in Tea). While his works were popular in private Department store exhibits, he continued with these two jurried fairs, but tragically died of heart failure at the very young age of 34 in 2010. The number of works by this artist are very few and difficult to find.

Camellia blossom on this flattened form by Ito Motohiko enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Nunome Tsubaki Mon Kabin (Cloth Texture Vase with Camellia Design). It is 10 inches (26 cm) tall and in excellent condition.
The artist is a famous Kasama potter, best known for his nunome pattern and exceptional designs. Motohiko was born in Fukuoka prefecture, 1939, and graduated the Tokyo University of Art in 1964, then moved on to advanced courses there, finishing in 1966. While at University he studied under Kato Hajime and Fujimoto Yoshimichi. It was in 1967 his first piece was accepted into the 6th Modern National Crafts Exhibition, and the next year would be spent working under to-be-Living National Treasure Matsui Kosei. His list of prizes and exhibitions is much too long to reproduce, but since 1967, he has Exhibited with the Nihon Dento Kogeiten, Nihon Dento Kogei Shinsaku Ten, Dento Kogei Musashino Ten, Tanabe Museum Modern Tea Forms Exhibition, been the subject of an NHK Television documentary, and participated in a ridiculous number of private exhibits at many of Japans top venues, and has been purchased by the current Emperor in person as well as receiving the Shijuho-sho prize from his majesty.

A tower of geometric in silver and red by Kawano Eichi enclosed in the original signed wooden box. The pebble textured surface and straight lines of the side are juxtaposed by the irregular and angular patterns of silver, like the outline of stones leading to a temple cast in shadow across the sides. The vase is 13 inches (33.5 cm) tall, 4 inches (10 cm) square and in fine condition.
Eichi was born in Osaka, 1943, and was raised in the post-war era of huge change. He studied in the plastic arts under Kiyomizu Rokubei VI, and was certainly influenced by the movement towards modernism and sculpture in the 50s and 60s. This influence is evident here in this work, which lies between the modern world of sculpture and the traditional realm of function. From 1973 he began exhibiting with the Nitten National Exhibition, and was first exhibited at the National Modern Crafts Fair the following year. That same year (1974) he was awarded at the Kyoten Exhibition. He would be consistently awarded in years to come at the Kyoten and other Local and National exhibitions.

Shizen-yu ash glaze and deposits crust the surface of this large Shigaraki Tsubo by Hoshino Ryosai enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It is 13 inches (33 cm) tall, 10 inches (25 cm) diameter and in excellent condition.
Ryosai was born in Fukuoka, on Japan’s Southern Main Island in 1939, and was raised during the impoverished war years. Perhaps it is this will to live instilled through hardship which invigorates so much of this dynamic artists work. He is held in the collection of the Asia Pacific Museum, the Vatican and Ise Shrine, the heart of Japanese Shinto, among others. For more on this artist see SHIGARAKI : Unexpected Transformations: Beauty of Fire and Flame held at the Japanese American Cultural Community Center, LA.

Charred glaze runs in rivulets, blasted around the sides of this Kamahen Bizen vase by Yamamoto Izuru enclosed in the original signed wooden box. The vessel is 10 inches (25.5 cm) tall, roughly 5 inches (13 cm) diameter and in excellent condition.
Yamamoto Izuru was born into the family of famous potter Yamamoto Toshu in 1944. He graduated the sculpture division of Musashino University, then went on to Paris for another two years of sculpting before returning to Bizen to apprentice under his father in plastic arts in 1970. He set out on his own path in 1975, establishing his own kiln. In 1980 he was prized at the Nihon Dento Kogeiten National Traditional Crafts Exhibition. His recognition grew in the eighties, being prized at both the Chunichi Kokusai Ceramics Exhibition and having a piece displayed at the Smithsonian and V&A in 1983, then garnering the Kaneshige Toyo prize in 1985, and subsequently acquired by the Brooklyn Museum of Art in 1987. In 1995 he built a kiln in Bourgogne France, working with clays from both regions, and this piece is from that period, dating circa 2,000. He has also been the winner of the 19th grand prize at the Tanabe Museum Modern Tea Forms Exhibition and was given the Cultural Award by Okayama Prefecture in 1997. He was named an intangible cultural property of Okayama Prefecture in 2012.

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.

A very heavy unusual charger by modern avant-garde artist Suzuki Goro decorated with Oribe colored graffiti of traditional themes enclosed in the original signed wooden box. Combs, hairpins and bamboo and ceramic pipes in orange, green and black decorate the pale sand-textured surface of the massive charger. Typical of this artist is cut from a very thick slab with an irregular edge. On back a self portrait hunches over the clay forming a large vase, the caption beside reading Nanikuso! (I will not lose!) The dish is 17-1/2 inches (44 cm) diameter, weighing more than 7 kilograms (15 pounds) and is in perfect condition! Goro has a list of shows and prizes too lengthy to go through, but the highlights are, Nitten National Art Exhibition, Nihon Shin Kogei Ten (New National Crafts Exhibition), Nihon Gendai Kogei Ten (National Modern Crafts Exhibition), Asahi Togei Ten-(First of Show and governors prize), as well as the Kofukai Ten among many others.

A large pulled, rolled and torn Oribe slab dish covered with translucent green by Ishii Takahiro enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It is 24 x 11 inches (61 x 28 cm) and in fine condition.
Ishii Takahiro was born in Gunma prefecture in 1980 and has taken Japan by storm after graduating the Kyoto Municipal University of Art and an apprenticeship under Kakurezaki Ryuichi. A true rising star in the Ceramics world

An unusual vase with rough, pebble textured pink glaze over scratched in cranes by one of Japans most important post-war artists, Shinkai Kanzan, enclosed in the original signed wooden box. The shape and the design are exactly what we would expect from Kanzan, the coloring going even a step beyond. The texture is like unpolished jewels, the inside of a geode; very pleasing to the hands. The vase is 20.5 cm (8 inches) tall, 18 cm (7inches) diameter and in prefect condition.
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, whereafter he 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 receved 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 Niohon 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.

A large Shinshoku Ware-tsubo eroded through natural processes during firing with a shattered rim attached to the body at the shoulder. This piece is a virtual textbook on Yohen firing effects. Tamadare, Shinshoku, koge and other effects are supplanted by a large white kutsuki on the front, all under the shadow of the shattered rim fused to the shoulder. It is roughly 10 inches (25 cm) tall, the same diameter enclosed in a fine kiri-wood box. To quote from Japanese Wood fired Ceramics, Ceramic pieces exposed to prolonged high temperatures and heavy ash deposit will begin to erode…as the erosion progresses, holes may appear in the ceramic pieces. This usually occurs just before major collapse. Here we see heavy erosion on the fire side of the piece, heavily coated in ash and deeply pitted. The Japanese aesthetic emphasizes asymmetry and an appreciation of the Natural forces. This aesthetic is best expressed with the respect shown towards accidents of firing, often highly appreciated for their unique qualities. Connoisseurs spend years searching for that one unpredictable piece, and it can become the focal point of a collection, most appropriate in the dark humble confines of a tea room.
Tsukigata Nahiko (1923-2006) was not only an accomplished ceramic artist, but also a painter, calligrapher, sculptor and musician. Born in Niigata prefecture, he was at Waseda University in 191 when he was summarily drafted into the Army. After the war he attended the Arts course of Nippon Daigaku University and was struck by the works of Living National Treasure Arakawa Toyozo, to whom he apprenticed in the arts of Shino and took his mentors work to a new level. Like all art, his was alive and always evolving. Starting with the replication and research of Momoyama techniques to the culmination of his efforts in Oni-shino, Nahiko has taken Shino beyond all others. It was not an eas road, for the first 15 years he worked for a ballet school, spent time as a recluse priest at Myoanji temple, and wandered the country playing the shakuhachi. It was a time of great change in Japan, starvation was rampant immediately after the war and supporting oneself through the little known art of Shino-yaki was difficult. However he perservered, along with Toyozo, Kato Juuemon, Kato Kohei and others, to bring Shino to the forefront of ceramic arts. Heavily prized domestically and abroad in his lifetime, his low output and unique quality make his work a must have for collectors.

Enclosed in the original signed wooden box dated 1998. It is 16 x 10 x 12 inches (40 x 25 x 30 cm) and is in fine 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.”

Silver streaks the thickly potted blue sides of this large squared bottle vessel by important Kyoto artist Morino (aki) Taimei enclosed in the original signed wooden box. The vase is 8-1/2 x 4-1/2 x 10 inches (21 x 11 x 25 cm) tall and in perfect condition.
Taimei was born in Kyoto in 1934, and was first accepted into the Nitten National Exhibition at a relatively young age in 1957 (a year before graduating the Kyoto Municipal University of Fine Art!). In 1960 he received the prestigious Hokutosho prize at the same National Exhibition. In the early 60s he worked as a guest professor at the University of Chicago. Upon his return to Japan his career began to lift off with a second Hokutosho Prize at the Nitten, followed by The governors prize and others at the Gendai Kogei Ten (Modern National Crafts Exhibition). He was subsequently selected for display at the Kyoto and Tokyo National Museums in 1972 and was accepted into the first Nihon Togei Ten that same year. Since his list of exhibitions and prizes has continued to grow, with subsequent selections in the Tokyo and Kyoto museums of Art, as well as exhibitions in Paris, Italy, America, Canada, Denmark and others. In 2007 he received the Japan Art Academy Prize, an award to a work of art similar in weight to the bestowing of Living National Treasure to an artist. This puts the artist in a small club, rare and important. For more information on the artist see Contemporary Japanese Ceramics, Fired with Passion by (Lurie/Chan, 2006) or the recent exhibition of works titled Generosity in Clay from the Natalie Fitz-gerald Collection.

White blossoms decorate a scattering of branches on the surface of this footed sweets dish by Kondo Yutaka enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled FunKa Daizara. It is 8 inches (21 cm) diameter, 3 inches (8 cm) tall and is in excellent condition. The deeply impressed white patterns are striking against black.
Kondo Yutaka (1932-1983) was born into a traditional pottery family in Kyoto. He studied under Living National Treasures Kondo Yuzo and Tomimoto Kenkichi at the Kyoto Municipal University of Art, graduating in 1957. That same year his work was accepted into the New Masters of Crafts Exhibition (Shin-takumi Kogeikai Ten). From 1962-63 he traveled in the US and lectured at Indiana University with Karl Martz. Returning to Japan he was granted a position at his Alma Matter, where he would continue to teach for the rest of his life, while making frequent research trips abroad to South and Central Asia, where he would master the T’zu Chou techniques expressed in these works. He twice received the Mayors prize at the Kyoten Exhibition, was awarded at the Asahi Togeiten, and is recipient of the coveted JCS award in 1967. The following year would see his work displayed at the New Generation of Ceramics Exhibition held at the Kyoto National Museum of Modern Art. In 1985 a posthumous exhibition was held honoring his life's work at the Kyoto Municipal Museum of Art. Work by the artist is held in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY, Musée Tomo, Tokyo and the Victoria & Albert Museum, London among others. For more on this important artist see the book Kondo Yutaka: The Transformation of a Traditional Kyoto Family (2010)

A beautiful example of Oni Shino by world famous Tsukigata Nahiko enclosed in a wooden box signed by his student Ayukai Kogetsu. Wild glazing and a dark burn on one side define the work, showing reason for this artists great demand. Signed on the base it is 4-1/2 inches (11.5 cm) diameter, 3-1/2 inches (9 cm) tall and in excellent condition.
Tsukigata Nahiko (1923-2006) was not only an accomplished ceramic artist, but also a painter, calligrapher, sculptor and musician. Born in Niigata prefecture, he was at Waseda University in 1941 when he was summarily drafted into the Army. After the war he attended the Arts course of Nippon Daigaku University and was struck by the works of Living National Treasure Arakawa Toyozo, to whom he apprenticed in the arts of Shino and took his mentors work to a new level. Like all art, his was alive and always evolving. Starting with the replication and research of Momoyama techniques to the culmination of his efforts in Oni-shino, Nahiko has taken Shino beyond all others. It was not an eas road, for the first 15 years he worked for a ballet school, spent time as a recluse priest at Myoanji temple, and wandered the country playing the shakuhachi. It was a time of great change in Japan, starvation was rampant immediately after the war and supporting oneself through the little known art of Shino-yaki was difficult. However he persevered, along with Toyozo, Kato Juuemon, Kato Kohei and others, to bring Shino to the forefront of ceramic arts. Heavily prized domestically and abroad in his lifetime, his low output and unique quality make his work a must have for collectors. Ayukai Kogetsu was a female artist from Miyagi prefecture who became a student and follower of Tsukigata in 1979. She currently takes part in calligraphy and ceramic exhibitions throughout Japan.

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.

A fine Tenmoku Glazed pot with Pine needle design by Kimura Moriyasu dating circa 1985 enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It is 8 inches (20 cm) tall and in fine condition. A vase with this same glaze is held in the National Palace Museum, Taiwan.
Kimura Moriyasu (b. 1935) studied pottery initially at the Kyoto Ceramics Research Facility (which turned out such masters as Hamada Shoji and Kawai Kanjiro) and then under his brother Kimura Morikazu. He is well known for his use of crawling and oil spot glazes. He exhibits with the Gendai Nihon Togeiten and Nihon Dento Kogeiten among others. He has been awarded the Kyoto Prefectural Order of Cultural Merit (2004). Work by him is held in the Britush Museum, Boston Museum, Dallas Museum and Ise Shrine among others.

I have long been searching for the right item by this artist to offer on the site, and here it is: blossoms and black decorate this fine cloth-textured pottery box by Ito Motohiko enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It is 10-1/2 x 10-1/2 x 4 inches (27 x 27 x 9.5 cm) and in excellent condition.
A similar workk by this artist was sold at Bonnhams in 209 for US$ 3,965 inc. premium
The artist is a famous Kasama potter, best known for his nunome pattern and exceptional designs. Motohiko was born in Fukuoka prefecture, 1939, and graduated the Tokyo University of Art in 1964, then moved on to advanced courses there, finishing in 1966. While at University he studied under Kato Hajime and Fujimoto Yoshimichi. It was in 1967 his first piece was accepted into the 6th Modern National Crafts Exhibition, and the next year would be spent working under to-be-Living National Treasure Matsui Kosei. His list of prizes and exhibitions is much too long to reproduce, but since 1967, he has Exhibited with the Nihon Dento Kogeiten, Nihon Dento Kogei Shinsaku Ten, Dento Kogei Musashino Ten, Tanabe Museum Modern Tea Forms Exhibition, been the subject of an NHK Television documentary, and participated in a ridiculous number of private exhibits at many of Japans top venues, and has been purchased by the current Emperor in person as well as receiving the Shijuho-sho prize from his majesty.

A very large Kutani Vase decorated by eccentric Zen Priest and painter Shimizu Kosho enclosed in the original sgned wooden box. The outer surfaceis covered in genuine gold, overwhich has been brushed the decorative calligraphy reading……Hana mushin Maneku chocho, mushin tazuneru shin. The box lid is attributed within to having been fired at the Kutani Shoryu kiln by Kosho himself, and the pot is signed on the base Ryu. The vase is over 12 inches (31 cm) tall, 9 inches (22 cm) diameter and in excellent condition. Kosho (1911-1999) was a unique and prolific artist-priest studied in the eccentric painting style associated with Nara. He was long time abbot of the massive Todai-ji temple complex in Nara, home of the great Buddha. Like many priests, he began producing art to propogate his teachings later in life. He proved extremely popular, the nonchalant style plucking a string in the Japanese heart. He worked in various media, refusing to be defined, and his work is as eccentric as it is unique, and highly sought in Japan.

An early piece from the Mudai series by Takiguchi Kazuo enclosed in the original signed wooden box. Unlike his later works which featured stone-like glazes, this glaze is soft and crinkled on the surface, like an undersea life form. It is 15-1/2 x 8 x 10 inches (39 x 20.5 x 25 cm) and is in excellent condition. Kazuo is an exceedingly sought after Kyoto artist, one of the heirs of the original Sodeisha movement. Born in 1953, he studied economics at Doshisha Univesity while making a brief sojourn into the studio of Kiyomizu Rokubei. However it was later under Yagi Kazuo at the Kyoto University of Art that he would begin to find his feet in the mud. He then went abroad to study at the Royal College of Art, graduating in 1982. The awards began rolling in in 1985, with prizes at the Nihon Togei Ten National Ceramics Exhibition and the Nihon Shin Kogei Ten New Crafts Exhibition. The following year was the Chunichi Kokusai Togei Ten and Kyoto Prefectural Arts and Crafts Association Exhibition. From there the list grows exponentially, including the JCS award, one of the most coveted prizes of them all. And he has been collected by a numbe of important institutions. According to a description from the V&A Museum in London:
For Takiguchi Kazuo, the young Kyoto-based maker of the large stoneware vessel, the development of a personal sculptural idiom has been closely associated with the pioneering of a particular method of hand-building.
The technique involves preparing a large sheet of extremely thin clay that is then folded and joined in a dynamic sequence of movements into a structure immediately resembling that of the intended final form. In the mid-1980s, when Takiguchi first used the technique, he lifted the clay up from the floor. Because this limited him to rather box-like shapes he went on to develop a way of draping the clay over moulds made from loosely assembled components and making his forms upside down. The new method allowed him to achieve the greater sense of fullness that he sought. At the same time the possibility of rearranging the components of the moulds allowed him to experiment with a much wider range of shapes than before. Having made a basic form, Takiguchi uses a number of secondary techniques to give it definition and character. These include pushing the walls out from the inside, compressing them from the outside, and cutting and joining, sometimes with the addition or removal of segments of clay.
Takiguchi's exploration of formal issues of shape, colour and texture through the making of individual works has been accompanied by his growing interest in the relationship between his sculptures and the surroundings in which they are displayed. When he is preparing for an exhibition he begins by making an exhaustive study of the venue using sketches, photographs and videos. It is only then that he starts to make any work. He develops his forms with the aim of creating an environment in which sculptures and surroundings are integrated into a single whole. The nature of a given series of work is determined by the process of planning for a particular exhibition and the total installation, usually incorporating an arrangement of props especially prepared for the occasion, is presented as an artistic statement in its own right.

A superb sculptural work of horizontal facets stacked upon each other in twisting obelisk by Mashiko based potter Matsuzaki Ken enclosed in the original signed wooden box. This is a masterpiece by this artist. It is 17 inches (43 cm) tall, 8 x 8-1/2 inches (20 x 21 cm) and in excellent condition. An identical shape is held in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and published in the book “Contemporary Clay, Japanese Ceramics for the New Centruy” by Joe Earle.
Matsuzaki Ken was born in Tokyo in 1950, and grew up in that dynamic post war era where tradition and modernity were at constant loggerheads. He graduated Tamagawa University in 1972, and moved to Mashiko to take up an apprenticeship under (to be) Living National Treasure Shimaoka Tatsuzo; putting him in direct lineage with Mingei legend Hamada Shoji. In 1978 he established the Yushin kiln, initially emulating the ordinary Mashiko-Mingei themes. However he could not be labeled so easily, and has sought expression in many forms and themes, including Shino, Hakeme, Yakishime, Zogan and porcelain. He is widely exhibited both inside and outside Japan, including New York, Boston and England and including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Works by the artist are held in the Victoria and Albert Museum, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Sackler Museum、Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Cleveland Museum of Art, Israel Museum, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Ibaraki Prefectural Museum and Mashiko Ceramic Museum as well as any number of other important public and private collections. See also the book “Ken Matsuzaki, Burning Tradition” (2008).

A sometsuke vase titled Time and Space by Kondo Takahiro published in the retrospective hard cover book “Kondo Takahiro ‘91-‘99” and enclosed in the original signed wooden box with exhibitions labels attached. It is 21 x 14 x 17 cm (8 x 5-1/2 x 7 inches). This piece was used as the cover of the book which is included with the sale.
Takahiro (b. 1958) was born the grandson of Living National Treasure Kondo Yuzo. However he graduated Hosei University not with a degree in sculpture or crafts, but in Literature. From there he studied at the Kyoto Prefectural Technical Institute of Ceramics, followed by a year at the Kyoto Municipal Institute of Industrial Research. 15 years later he would spend a year in Edinburgh studying glass making, and with this combination of skills, was born the silver mist series for which he is so highly acclaimed. Work by him is held in Museums throughout the world, including the National Museum of Scotland, Brooklyn Museum of Art, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Museum of Arts & Design, New York, Spencer Museum of Art, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Art Gallery NSW, Sydney, Hamilton Art Gallery, Australia, Miho Museum. National Gallery of Victoria, Paramita Museum, The Museum of Contemporary Ceramic Art, Shigaraki, and The São Paulo Museum of Art, Brazil among others. Without a doubt one of the most important contemporary artists in Japan today. For more see Celestial Ceramics: the Art of Kondo Takahiro (2002)

A set of five Ginsai (silver decorated) Mukozuke bowls by Kyoto artist Morino Taimei enclosed in the original signed wooden box. The blue is his signature color, silver and gold wavelets surrounding the silver basin. Striking, at the same time complimentary, everything we have come to expect from this artist. Each bowl is roughly 3-1/2 inches (9 cm) diameter and in perfect condition. The box as well is like new. Taimei was born in Kyoto in 1934, and was first accepted into the Nitten National Exhibition at a relatively young age in 1957 (a year before graduating the Kyoto Municipal University of Fine Art!). In 1960 he received the prestigious Hokutosho prize at the same National Exhibition. In the early 60s he worked as a guest professor at the University of Chicago. Upon his return to Japan his career began to lift off with a second Hokutosho Prize at the Nitten, followed by The governors prize and others at the Gendai Kogei Ten (Modern National Crafts Exhibition). He was subsequently selected for display at the Kyoto and Tokyo National Museums in 1972 and was accepted into the first Nihon Togei Ten that same year. Since his list of exhibitions and prizes has continued to grow, with subsequent selections in the Tokyo and Kyoto museums of Art, as well as exhibitions in Paris, Italy, America, Canada, Denmark and others. In 2007 he received the Japan Art Academy Prize, an award to a work of art similar in weight to the bestowing of Living National Treasure to an artist. This puts the artist in a small club, rare and important. For more information on the artist see Contemporary Japanese Ceramics, Fired with Passion by (Lurie/Chan, 2006) or the recent exhibition of works titled Generosity in Clay from the Natalie Fitz-gerald Collection.

This piece is almost identical to the work submitted by the artist to the 7th Nihon Dento Kogei Ten in 1983 (featured as item number 116 in the catalog for that year) and indeed, shares the title Hi-iro In-mon Tsubo (Flame-Colored Stamp-Patterned Tsubo). It measures 34 cm (13-1/2 inches) diameter, 29.5 cm (12 inches) tall and is in excellent condition.
Kanzaki Muneaki (b 1949) is the fourth generation head of the traditional Mokusen Kiln in Koga, Shigaraki. His works have been exhibited at the Nihon Dento Kogei Ten (National Traditional Crafts Exhibition), Nihon Togeiten (National Ceramics Exhibition), Asahi Togeiten Asahi Ceramics Exhibition) and Chunichi Kokusai Togeiten (Chunichi International Exhibition) among many others.

A superb example of the work of Kimura Morinobu enclosed in the original sgned wooden box. The cream colored crackle glaze is speckeld with flecks of iron an ishihaze with five Zen circles around the circumference, subtly calling to mind the Book of Five Rings (Miyamoto Musashi). The deep crevaces in the glaze and heafty load of the bowl are a pleasure to behold. It is 5 inches (13 cm) diameter, 3-1/2 inches (9 cm) tall and in fine condition. Morinobu (b. 1932) was one of the born into a pottery family in Kyotos Higashiyama pottery district. He attended the Kyoto Municipal School of Art graduating from the sculpture division, and entered the Kyoto Ceramic Research Facility, the stomping grounds of so many of the brightest talents in modern Japanese Pottery. After apprenticing under bothhis brother, Morikazu, and Living National Treasure Shimizu Uichi, he established his own kiln in 1967. Although his list of exhibitions is much too long to put down here, he was named an intangible Cultural Property (Mukei Bunkazai) of Kyoto Prefecture in 1992. Works by the artist are held in the Kyoto National Museum among others.

A truly Massive chozara Oribe Platter by important potter Ando Hidetake (b. 1938) enclosed in the original signed wooden box. Relying entirely on sculptural presentation, the interior is devoid of any decoration, the heavily sculpted basin simply coated with glassy-green oribe glaze. Deep grooves have been cut from the slab of clay, the edges torn and ragged with dollops of green dripping from the base. On the underside in dark iron is the large character Hi (the first character in the artists name) inside an earthen cartouche. The dish is 33 x 15-1/2 x 2-3/4 inches (84 x 39 x 7 cm) and in excellent condition. It is very heavy, over 15 kilograms with the box, and will require special shipping considerations (cost of shipping is separate from item price). Hidetake was born third generation into a Mino pottery family in Gifu prefecture in 1938. He began an apprenticeship under Kato Tokuro in 1960. A testament to his skill, he was accepted for the first time four years later into the National Traditional Arts and Crafts Exhibition (Nihon Dento Kogei Ten), and followed that by taking governors prize at the Asahi Ceramics exhibition in 1970, and acceptance into the Japanese National Ceramics Exhibition (Nihon Togei Ten) in 1971; since he has displayed often with all of these important events. One of a small group of potters credited with the revival of Shino, he was named an Important Prefectural Cultural Property in 2003 (Gifu-Ken Juyo Mukei Bunkazai, the prefectural version of the Living National Treasure). Due to size the cost of shipping will be assessed separately from the list price.

The sides are scorched from flame on this large, flattened ball form tsubo by Koie Ryoji enclosed in the original signed wooden box. The raw Shigaraki earth is scored with strikes from a paddle and deep gouges from the artist fingers. The Tsubo is roughly 8 inches (20.5 cm) tall, the same diameter. Born in Tokoname, 1938, Ryoji graduated the Tokoname industrial school and moved on to work at the City Ceramic Research Facility. In 1966 he established his own studio. Largely displayed and prized, he was most recently awarded the Japan Ceramic Society Gold Award in 2009, the most prestigious of pottery prizes in Japan.

A most extraordinary glaze like green velvet covers this tall bottle form vase by modern Japanese pottery master Imai Masayuki enclosed in the original signed wooden box dating circa 1970. The long tapering from is expertly rolled at the mouth, the soft absorbent textured glaze lying perfectly smooth over all. The hada, or feeling of the surface is unlike any I have ever seen, and a drop of water is instantly absorbed by the porous surface. The vase is 16 inches (45 cm) tall and in excellent condition. Imai was born in Osaka in 1930 and studied the plastic arts under Kusube Yaichi of Kyoto, the city he chose to make home. He has been a long standing and often exhibited member of the Nitten, receiving the Hokuto Award there. He also took the grand prize at the International Biennale of Contemporary Ceramics as well as the prestigious Japan Ceramic Society Award in 1965. He is mentor and teacher to a new generation of Japanese potters including Ichino Masahiko.

Graffito scrawls through the silver lining of this fine Chawan by Morino Taimei enclosed in the original signed wooden box. The rackish wave on the outside saunters away from the dip of the silver inside the rim, creating a very playful complexion. The bowl is 12.5 cm diameter, 7.5 cm tall and in perfect condition. An article clipped from a catalog shows a very similar bowl priced at the time at 200,000 yen.
Taimei was born in Kyoto in 1934, and was first accepted into the Nitten National Exhibition at a relatively young age in 1957 (a year before graduating the Kyoto Municipal University of Fine Art!). In 1960 he received the prestigious Hokutosho prize at the same National Exhibition. In the early 60s he worked as a guest professor at the University of Chicago. Upon his return to Japan his career began to lift off with a second Hokutosho Prize at the Nitten, followed by The governors prize and others at the Gendai Kogei Ten (Modern National Crafts Exhibition). He was subsequently selected for display at the Kyoto and Tokyo National Museums in 1972 and was accepted into the first Nihon Togei Ten that same year. Since his list of exhibitions and prizes has continued to grow, with subsequent selections in the Tokyo and Kyoto museums of Art, as well as exhibitions in Paris, Italy, America, Canada, Denmark and others. In 2007 he received the Japan Art Academy Prize, an award to a work of art similar in weight to the bestowing of Living National Treasure to an artist. This puts the artist in a small club, rare and important. For more information on the artist see Contemporary Japanese Ceramics, Fired with Passion by (Lurie/Chan, 2006) or the recent exhibition of works titled Generosity in Clay from the Natalie Fitz-gerald Collection.

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.

A powerful Mimitsuki Karatsu Mizusashi by Nakagawa Jinembo (Jinenbo b. 1953) enclosed in the original signed wooden box. Vicious white glaze, deeply fissured, supplants the fawn brown of the back, all over a very rough red clay filled with shiseki stones. The piece breathes energy, vivacious and playful it is a pleasure to view and use. The lid is similarly glazed, with hakeme brush marks inside. The piece is roughly 7 inches (18 cm) tall, the same diameter and in perfect condition.
Jinembo was always fascinated with Karatsu ware, and studied under the great Inoue Toya from the age of 24. Several years later he returned to his hometown to establish a climbing kiln of his own, which he put to great use. From there, not satisfied with his own work skills, he went to Tanaka Sajiro for an additional apprenticeship. Since he has, as many Chajin artists, concentrated on private exhibitions as an outlet for his work, shunning the world of mass competition and retail, making his work both highly valued and hard to find.

Although I do not often use the term, this is a masterpiece by Iga artist Banura Shiro enclosed in the original signed wooden box. Even under the glaze the texture of the clay is clearly visible, rivulets of green glass arching around the body with slashes of color over the red terracotta. It is thin walled and quite light beguiling the size. The Tsubo is 15 inches (38 cm) tall, roughly 13-1/2 inches (35 cm) diameter and is in excellent condition. Due to size the cost of shipping will be accrued separately for this piece.
Shiro was born the fourth son of Living National Treasure for Lacquerware. His sensitivity to textures may stem from that exacting influence. Although his older brother succeeded the family tradition (another branching into paper arts), Shiro, after graduating the Kyoto University of Fine Art, apprenticed in the plastic arts under Kawamura Kitaro (1899-1966). He has an impressive list of exhibitions, including a private exhibition at the Umeda Kindai Bijutsu-Ten as well as the Niponbashi Mitsukoshi, Takashimaya, and Ikebukuro Tobu, the equivalent of being displayed on New Yorks Fifth Avenue or other cities most Trendy streets, as well as many international exhibitions. Like most Iga-area artists, his output is low, but quality and originality high, making his work very much in demand.

A thick coating of green glass covers the burnt terracotta clay of this misshapen Teapot by Iga representative Atarashi Kanji enclosed in the original signed wooden box. The form is scraped and gashed and pushed and contorted, very pleasing to the touch and eye. It is 9-1/2 inches (24.5 cm) tall, roughly 6 inches (15.5 cm) diameter and in perfect condition, as is the wooden box. Kanji was born in Osaka in 1944, and graduated the Osaka College of Craft design. After 3 years in Kobe, and 4 in Kishiwada (Wakayama) he came to settle in Iga, where he was one of the driving forces behind the resurrection and preservation of the Iga tradition. Although displayed at the National Craft Exhibition, he prefers the intimacy of the private exhibition, of which he holds several every year. And if ones visit to japan is not timed right for an exhibition, he can otherwise be found at his kiln working along with his son and daughter.

Mystical heads adorn the four corners of this Persian-blue glazed open vase by Living National Treasure Kato Takuo enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It is 5 x 4 x 10 inches (11 x 13 x 25.5 cm) and is in excellent condition. Kato Takuo, I am sure, requires no introduction. He was trained in ceramics by both his father, Kato Kobei, 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. This is a rare opportunity to acquire a piece by this highly sought Japanese Artist.

A large Egg shaped Zogan vase by Kobayashi Seiji enclosed in the original signed wooden box. Enigmatic lines score the oblong body, the map-like surface filled with blue, green and silver. Seiji is best known for this Zogan technique, and this work is a superb example. It measures 11-1/2 inches (29 cm) long, 7 inches (18.5 cm) tall and is in perfect condition. Seiji (b. 1945) studied initially at the Nagoya Research Facility. He moved to Kasama in 1979. In addition to a long list pf private exhibitions his works have been exhibited at Nihon Dento Kogei Ten (National Traditional Crafts Exhibition), Nihon Togei Ten (NationalCeramics Exhibition) and he won top prize at the 1985 New Zealand International Ceramics Exhibition.

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.

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.

Red tinges the deeply fissured celadon on this massive basin by Living National Treasure Shimizu Uichi enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Seiji Benisai Hachi (Celadon with red flamed Basin). Rising from a narrow foot, the piece seems to float in the air, gold and red shining through the cracks in the fissured glaze. It is 18 inches (46 cm) diameter, 4-1/2 inches (11.5 cm) tall and in fine condition. Due to size and weight this piece will require special shipping consideration.
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.

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