Catalog (775)

Sunrise colors grow gradually lighter toward the top of this odd shaped vessel culminating in brilliant pink by Miyashita Zenji enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Saidei Kaki. It is 31 cm (12 inches) tall and in excellent condition.
Miyashita Zenji (1939-2012) was born into the family of potter Miyashita Zenju, and graduated the Kyoto Municipal University of Art under Kiyomizu Kyubei and Kusube Yaichi. Starting with the most difficult, he worked from Celadon, which relies on shape and extreme control of firing. He began exhibiting in the annual Nitten exhibitions in 1964, eventually winning eighteen prizes. According to the Sackler, which holds 6 works by him, “ His mature work was a modern embodiment of a classic Kyoto mode associated with the Heian period (794–1185). He applied delicate layers of color—reminiscent of multilayered court robes or decorated papers made for inscribing poetry—using not over-glaze enamels or glazes but clay itself, dyed with mineral pigments”. He is held in the aforementioned Freer-Sackler, the British Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art New York, and the Brooklyn Museum the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, the Museum of Fine Arts Houston and of course The National Museums of Modern Art both in Kyoto and Tokyo among a host of others.

Raised designs in slip decorate the yellow glaze of this deep bowl by Kawai Kanjiro enclosed in a kiriwood box titled O-yu Tsutsugaki-mon Wan annotated by Kawai Toshitaka, current head of the Kawai Kanjiro Museum. This piece dates from later in the artists illustrious career, 1950s-1960s. It is 4 inches (10 cm) diameter, 3-1/4 inches (5 cm) tall and in excellent condition.
Kawai Kanjiro was a true artist by nature, and together with Hamada Shoji, set a pattern of study for modern potters. After graduating the Tokyo School of Industrial Design, he came to study in Kyoto, eventually establishing his own kiln on the Gojo-no-Saka (It remains standing today and is a must see for anyone visiting Kyoto). Together with compatriots Hamada Shoji and Bernard Leach (with whom he traveled throughout Asia) established the modern Mingei movement in ceramics, the most influential ceramics movement in the 20th century. His research on glazes (of which he developed thousands over a lifetime of work) remains influential as well. Refusing to be limited to ceramics, Kanjiro also worked in bronze, wood and paint. An interesting final note on this unusual artist, when offered the title of Living National Treasure, an honor bestowed on very few, he declined.

A signature work by Kiyomizu Rokubei VI enclosed in the original signed wooden box. Golden light shines through the silhouette of iron colored trees on the tapering cylinder. It was a design technique developed by this generation. The original rosewood stand is included. The vase is 31 cm (12 inches) tall and in excellent condition.
The Kiyomizu family potters managed one of the most productive workshops in Kyoto’s Gojozaka district throughout the second half of the Edo period. From the Meiji they began producing tableware for export and special pieces for government-sponsored exhibitions under Rokubei IV. Rokubei V led the kiln into the 20th century, and his son, Rokubei VI (1901-1980), would assume lead in 1945, taking the kiln through the tumultuous years after the Second World War. He graduated the Kyoto Municipal School of Arts and Crafts, then the Kyoto Special School of Painting, before apprenticing under his father in 1925. He exhibited frequently and was often prized at the National Bunten, Teiten and Nitten Exhibits, where he later served as judge. He was also lauded abroad, in the USSR, France, Italy, Belgium and was appointed a member of the Japan Art Academy. In 1976 he was awarded the Order of Cultural Merit for his lifelong devotion to promoting Japanese pottery traditions. His works are held in numerous museums throughout the globe.

A striking design of swirling dots decorates this wide low chawan by female porcelain legend Ono Hakuko enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Yuri Haku-kin Sai Hira Chawan (White Gold Decorated Wide Tea Bowl). Blue and Green Dots swirl in a vortex from the center of the bowl. It is 16.2 cm (6-3/8 inches) diameter, 4.7 cm (2-7/8 inches) tall and in excellent condition retaining the original shiori.
From Aichi prefecture, Hakuko was trained by her father initially in the ceramic arts. However she was most strongly influenced by the great experimentive artist Kato Hajime (1901-1968) and his work with gold. This affected her own style deeply, and it can be said that she carried on his research. She was awarded the JCS award in 1980, one of Japans most prestigious ceramics awards. In 1992 she was named an important cultural asset (Juyo mukei bunkazai) of Saga prefecture. Bucking the traditional image here is another of Japans great cultural assets who fought against a system of prejudice to rise to the top and it is an honor to be able to offer something by her. For more on this important modern artist see Touch Fire, contemporary Japanese Ceramics by Women Artists (2009)

A rare Mizusashi in rust colored glaze by Living National Treasure Hamada Shoji enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Kaki-yu Ori-e Mizusashi. It is roughly 15 cm diameter, the same height and in excellent condition.
Hamada Shoji (1894-1978) was born in Tokyo, and enrolled in the Tokyo Technical University at the age of 19. In 1918 he met the important British potter Bernard Leach, and the history of ceramic arts was forever changed. One of the most influential and sought after of all Japanese Ceramic artists. He was a significant influence on studio pottery of the twentieth century, and a driving force of the mingei folk-art movement. In 1955 he was designated a "Living National Treasure". There is no shortage of reading material for those who would like to learn more about this potter.

My favorite piece by this unique artist, a tall slab form vase wearing a sash of random words scrawled like some ancient graffiti riddle by Shigemori Yoko enclosed in a wooden box titled April Fool. This dates from early in her career, late 70s to early 80s.
WRITE ME SEPTEMBER MOON HOLIDAY SOMEDAY APRIL FOOL ON THE HILL TAKE IT EASY SEVEN SNOWBIRD…
As if dashed out in a trance, there is something magical about it, a view into the soul of a young girl fresh out of school and looking at the wonder of a life ahead. The vase is 41.5 cm (over 16 inches) tall and comes directly from the artist’s family with a wooden box annotated by her brother Naoki.
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 avant-garde 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 National Modern Ceramics Exhibition. She was one of five artists featured in Toh, volume 76, the first issue dedicated to Kyoto potters. Toh was, at the time

An eye catching sculpture by Yaaguchi Mio titled Meta in soft brown terracotta clay spattered lightly with Namako glaze. It is 23 x 25 x 39.5 cm (9 x 10 x just less than 16 inches) and is in excellent condition, directly from the artist. It comes with a signed wooden placard.
Yamaguchi Mio was born in Aichi prefecture in 1992, and graduated advanced studies at the Aichi University of Education in 2017. While still at university, her works were selected for show at the JoryuTogei Ten Female Ceramic Artist Association Exhibition (2014). In 2016 she was awarded at the 3rd Kogei in Kanazawa Competition, Grand Prize at the Ceramic Art in the Present Tense Exhibition at the Hagi Uragami Museum as well received the governors prize at the 5oth Female Ceramic Artist Association Exhibition. In 2017 she was selected for the 11th International Ceramics Competition in Mino. She took a job as a teacher, but could not fight the need to create, so enrolled in the Tajimi City Ceramics research facility, graduating in2020. Her work is currently on view in the Chicago Institute of Arts, and was featured on the cover of the catalog for that exhibition, Radical Clay.
According to Mio: I feel that my fascination towards the natural world’s use of repetition, in bee hives and on the surface of corals, appears in my work as I consume and absorb the world around me. I like to believe that these works are natural forms made by my own hands. When I mold clay, I have a sensation that my body and consciousness blends and binds with the material and the natural world. The process of building upon each coil and applying each fold one by one with my hands is a form of meditation. Through this repetitive process I want to be able to convey my thoughts at the time in the texture, such as my struggle of swaying between the desires to live freely and falling under the pressure from societal expectations. It calms me down to observe the fingerprints left in the surface and see the traces of my existence in the clay. These works are products of what I have absorbed around me.

Clouds cling to the slopes of this large ceramic container in the shape of Mt. Fuji by Matsuda Yuriko enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Fujisan. It is 41.5 x 15.5 x 41.5 cm (16-1/4 x 6 x 16-1/4 inches) and is in excellent condition.
Matsuda Yuriko was born in Ashiya, Hyōgō Prefecture in 1943nd lives and works in Oshino, Yamanashi Prefecture. Yuriko is an avid exhibitor; it is a wonder she has time to do any work at all. Both within Japan (Nihon Togei Ten, Gendai Togei Ten etc.) and without she has an impressive list of exhibitions in a host of countries. She received the Yagi Kazuo prize in 1986 among many others. According to the book “Touch Fire”, Many of the women artists included in this exhibition are independent innovators who work outside the constraints of Japanese ceramic traditions. However, several of the artists, including Matsuda Yuriko, continue to use traditional techniques with skills that rival, if not exceed, those of their predecessors, and in doing so they create new and challenging contemporary ceramic art. They reinterpret the traditional decorative technique for porcelain vessels, called iro-e over-glaze enameling, and transposes its motifs onto nonfunctional objects. Her beautifully enameled iro-e porcelain sculptures are witty odes to two favorite subjects: the female body and Mount Fuji. For more information on this artist and examples of her work see the books Contemporary Japanese Ceramics, Fired with Passion by Beatrice Chang and Samuel Lurie. Also see Contemporary Clay, Japanese Ceramics for the New Century based on the Museum of Fine Arts Boston exhibition or Soaring Voices, Contemporary Japanese Women Ceramic Artists (2010). Her work is also currently on tour with the Radical Clay Exhibition at the Art Institute of Chicago.

An iconic Bizen sake set by legendary artist and Living National Treasure Kaneshige Toyo enclosed in the original signed wooden box dating from the pre-war era titled Inbe yaki Tokuri. The bottle is delicately rendered and features the play of colors and textures for which he would be known, with a dark gray rim, while the cup is thinly made in a warm orange tinge. Both bear his fundo stamp on the bottom. The bottle is 11 cm (roughy 4-1/2 inches) tall and both are in perfect condition, with an upper and lower compartment in the box for storage.
Kaneshige Toyo (1896-1967) is one of the leaders of the group of artisans who sought to revive the tradition as it was flagging to extinction in the pre-war years and considered one of the most important figures in 20th century Bizen. It is Toyo who has been credited with having rediscovered the techniques of the Azuchi Momoyama period. Born in Bizen, Okayama prefecture, into the potting family of artisan Kaneshige Baiyo, Toyo began working with clay in 1910. By the 1930’s, he was thoroughly ensconced in the research of ancient techniques. Over the next 20 years, he was to become a leading figure in Japanese pottery, and lifelong friend of Kawakita Handeishi, Kitaoji Rosanjin and Miwa Kyuwa. Post-war, in an effort to elevate Japanese pottery, he, along with Arakawa Toyozo and Kato Tokuro, helped to establish the Nihon Kogei kai (Japan Art Crafts Association). He was designated Living National Treasure in 1956, and subsequently received the Order of Cultural Merit from Okayama for his lifework. For more see the new important tome by the Miho Museum: The Bizen (2019) according to which “He formed the Bizen Pottery Society, mentored the younger generation, participated in the founding of the Japan Kogei Association and built the foundations for the postwar success of Bizen ware”.

A very large celadon platter by Yoshikawa Masamichi enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It is made to either sit or hang suspended from wire on the back. The platter is 75 x 20 x 5 cm (29-1/2 x 8 x 2 inches) and is in excellent condition. Due to size the cost of shipping will be accrued separately.
Yoshikawa Masamichi was born in Kanagawa in 1946, and graduated the Japanese Design Academy in 1968. He first garnered attention in Japan being awarded at the 1971 Asahi Togeiten Ceramics Exhibition, and the following year received honorable mention at the 3rd International Biennale of Ceramic Art Vallorious France(Gold prize there in 2002). He has since received numerous prizes including Grand Prize at the Asahi Togeiten 1981, 1983 as well as the Aichi Prefectural Art and Cultur Award in 2005. Work is held in the Korea World Ceramic Center (Soul), American Craft Museum New York, Keramik Museum Germany, Brooklyn Musuem, Tokoname City Museum, V&A London among many others.

Not to save the best for last, but this piece by Nagae Shigekazu is simply breathtaking. The pattern of light and dark squares which drives direct lines across the distended quadrilateral form hails images of the Ichimatsu-moyo pattern at the Katsura Rikyu imperial palace. The lyrical curves of the vessel itself are in sharp contrast to the extreme precision of the patterns, creating a unique dialog between viewer and viewed. It comes enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Chokutai (Straightforward). The vessel is quite large at 47 cm (18-1/2 inches) tall, 31.5 x 23 cm (12-1/2 x 9 inches) and in excellent condition.
Nagae 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. According to Ceramics Now Magazine: Nagae Shigekazu (born in 1953), is one of the leading pioneers of porcelain casting and firing techniques in Japan. Casting is commonly associated with the mass production of porcelain, yet Nagae valiantly transcends this stereotype, ultimately elevating this technique to the avant-garde. Casting alone cannot achieve the natural movements found within Nagae’s forms. His popularity and recognition as an artist have skyrocketed, with acquisitions by the V&A in London, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and the National Gallery of Australia in just the past 3 years. Also collected by leading institutions such as the Musée National de Ceramique-Sèvres in Paris and the Musée Ariana in Geneva, among others, as well as receiving prestigious awards such as the Grand Prixs at the 1998 Triennale de la Porcelain in Nyon, the Mino Ceramic Festival and the Japan Ceramic Art Exhibition (both 1997), Nagae’s stature and respect in the world of porcelain has reached new heights.

A broken open Tsubo By Kim Hono enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Chikyu no Tameiki (The Earth Sighs). It is for the most part, raw earthen colors, with a thick pool of tinted aquamarine glass inside. It is 40 x 34 x 41.5 (16 x 13-1/2 x 16-1/2 inches) and is in excellent condition. Upon the box is drawn an image of the Tsubo with a single dried lotus seed pod rising from within.
Kim Hono was born in Seto City Aichi Prefecture in 1958, and graduated the Prefectural Ceramics School in 1977, then taking up apprenticeship at a local kiln before establishing himself as an independent artist in 1982. He held his first solo exhibition in Nagoya in 1985. He has been exhibited at the Nihon Togeiten National Ceramics Exhibition Dento Kogeiten National Traditional Crafts Exhibition, Asahi Togeiten Exhibition, Chunichi Kokusai Togeiten, and his works being shown in some of Japans top galleries including Kuroda Toen in Tokyo’s Ginza ward. Not to be defined, even by himself, famously when asked by Hohnoho Magazine to define his work he cryptically replied only: Kaze wo Kanjiru Koto (Feeling the wind).

Horses dash past in a fervent black mass both carved into and built up onto the paddled surface of this large vessel ballooning open from a narrow base by Nakazato Tarouemon XIII enclosed in the original signed wooden box. Inside the box is written Tataki Tsubo (Paddled Vessel), Kurabe Uma (Horse Race), exhibited Autumn 1958 at the Tokyo Mitsukoshi Sports Theme Art Exhibition; Ochawangama, Nakazato Tadao (given name of Nakazato Tarouemon XIII) followed by the artists seal. An excellent example of the mid-century aesthetic. The vessel is 34.5 cm (13-1/2 inches) diameter, 30 cm (12 inches) tall and in excellent condition. It has a copper insert for water (so you do not have to fill the whole Tsubo with water if displaying flowers). Due to size the cost of shipping will be accrued separately.
Nakazato Tadao (1923-2009) was born the first son of the 12th generation of Nakazato Tarouemon in Karatsu City. He graduated from the Craft Design Course, Tokyo School of Crafts (mod. Chiba University). In 1943, and first exhibited with the Nitten in 1951. In 1956 he would receive the Hokutosho prize there, followed by another commendation in 1958, and the JCS award in 1961. He took over the family name upon his fathers retirement in 1969. He would go on to receive many awards throughout his career, including the Prime Minister's Award in 1981, and the Japan Art Academy Award in 1984, The Saga Prefectural Order of Cultural Merit in 1985, and the Order of Cultural Merit by Karatsu city in 1995. In 2002 he retired from the world, entering a Buddhist temple and taking the name Hoan. He would ultimately be awarded the Order of the Rising Sun for his lifes work and be appointed an adviser of the Japan Art Academy. He was succeeded by his son,

A breathtaking work by Miyake Yoji enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Nuki-e Kinsai Sakura-mon Kaki. The unabashed use of gold on this piece is extraordinary. Quite large, it is 39 cm (15-1/2 inches) tall, 27 cm (11 inches) diameter and in excellent condition. This is a step beyond even for an artist known for his bold patterns and designs; this would make a powerful centerpiece for a collection of contemporary Japanese pottery.
Miyake Yoji was born in Shimane in 1950, He studied from 1974 under Ito Kosho, establishing himself as an independent artist three years later in Mashiko. In 1979 his work was accepted into the Dento Kogei Shinsaku Ten (New Exhibition of Traditional Crafts) and displayed there annually thereafter. In 1980 he was accepted into the Nihon Dento Kogei Ten (National Traditional Crafts Exhibition), and many times thereafter. Again the following year he was accepted into yet another major exhibition with the Nihon Togei Ten (All Japan Ceramic Exhibition), once again followed up with repeated acceptance there. Yet in the 90s he turned away from the competitive world and began to concentrate more on private exhibitions, of which he has been hosted many times in some of Japans most prestigious galleries. He was also the subject of an NHK Television Documentary in 1998 and appeared in another in 2000.

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

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

One of the best I have ever seen by him. A metallic Shino Chawan by Tsukigata Nahiko enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Oni Shino Yohen O-Chawan and named inside Rokugo (also read Rikugo) which is something to do with the ancient concept of the tertiary levels of heaven and earth. Rokugo is outside the Human realm, the universe, the heavens. It is 5-1/2 inches (14 cm) diameter, 4 inches (10 cm) tall and in excellent condition complete with silk pouch and double wood black lacquered outer box with original naming paper by Nahiko.
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.

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