Catalog (826)

A Heavy Slab-formed open rectangle of buff stoneware decorated with blanks of color “peeling” from the sides by Okada Kenzo enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Kaku Tsubo. It measures 16 inches (40 cm) tall, 4-1/2 x 20 inches (12 x 51 cm) and weighs 16.5 kilograms (36 lbs) not including the box. It is in excellent condition. Due to size and weight the cost of shipping will be accrued separately. Okada Kenzo (b. 1948) is based physically in Mashiko but his work is based very much in the modern dimmension. He has exhibited at many domestic and international events including the Japan Traditional Art and Crafts exhibition, Chunichi International Ceramics Exhibition, and the Nihon Togeiten (National Pottery Exhibition), as well as Faenza International Ceramic Art exhibition and the 1993 Japan Society NY exhibition titled 'Modern Japanese Ceramics in American Collections. Work by him is held in the collection of the V&A, London among others.

Running up to the end of our 60s and 70s ceramics, here is a great piece by a student of Yagi Kazuo, Yoshitake Hiromu (Hiroshi) enclosed in the original signed wooden box and dating from the late 60s or early 70s encapsulating the feeling of rage against conformity then rupturing the Japanese ceramic world. It is 6 x 14 x 16 inches (15 x 35 x 40 cm) and is in fine condition. Due to size and weight the cost of shipping will be accrued separately for this piece.
Born in Kyoto in 1938, Hiromu was a member of Sodeisha and studied under Yagi Kazuo concentrating on sculpture. Initially in Kyoto, then Otsu, he is now established in Nagano prefecture. For more on this artist see the book Gendai Nihon Togei (Kinki volume II).

An exquisite white shape by Nagae Shigekazu enclosed in the original signed wooden box dating circa 1996. Inscribed light patterns like waving blades of grass are almost indiscernible on the surface, incredibly detailed and crisp when viewed close-up, a green splash of color like a Christmas ribbon circling the form in both directions. It measures 14 inches (35 cm) tall, 5 inches (13 cm) square at base, mouth 7-1/2 x 2 inches (18.5 x 5 cm), and is in perfect condition. Included is the original exhibition invitation.
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. For more on this important modern artist see To, The best selections of contemprorary ceramics in Japan, Vol. 74.

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 lidded vessel of diamond form decorated with a circle and square viewed through vertical blinds of changing colors beaded with silver dew by Kondo Takahiro. It comes enclosed in the original signed wooden box enclosed inside a red lacquered outer wooden box (Niju Tomobako) dating circa 2002. The piece measures 7-1/2 x 4 x 10 inches (19 x 11 x 25 cm) and is in perfect condition.
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 sculptural Green form by Yamazaki Akira (Yamazaki Koyo II, b. 1927) enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Kujaku-yu Tori-tsubo (Peacock Glazed Bird Shaped Vase). The vase is 11 x 6 x 6 inches (28 x 15 x 14 cm) and in fine condition, signed on the base Akira.
Akira’s father, Yamazaki Koyo (1890-1979), was displayed and awarded consistently in many National Exhibitions and is held in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art Boston and Bern Museum of Art Switzerland among others. Akira studied under Kiyomizu Rokubei VI as well as his father and was equally exhibited and awarded, including the Hokutosho prize at the Nitten where he later served as Judge, Kofukai Ten and Governors prize at the Kyoten. For more see Fired with Passion: contemporary Japanese ceramics (2006).

An intriguing form by Takeuchi Shingo titled Zogan Hento (An Inlaid Strange Vase) enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It measures 18 x 19 x 24.5 cm and is in fine condition, dating circa 2002.
Takeuchi Shingo(b.1955) hails from Seto city, one of the oldest ceramic production centers in Japan. He studied at the Aichi Prefectural Ceramics Research Facility until 1979, then under the great Kato Shuntei II before establishing his own kiln in 1982. Exhibited at the Asahi Togeiten Ceramics Exhibition, Chunichi Kokusai International Ceramics Exhibition, Nihon Togeiten Ceramics Exhibition, and in innumerable galleries both at home and abroad. He is held in many private and public collections including the Seto Musuem, The Korean International Ceramics Foundation, Yingge Ceramics Museum Taiwan and others.

Pastel earth tones color this spontaneous form by Kawamoto Taro enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It is 25 x 28 x 28 cm (10 x 11 x 11 inches) and is in excellent condition.
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 contemporary ceramics in Japan, Vol. 74.

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.

This natural form is charred and blackened, rivulets of glaze running like lava down the side, a seminal work by veteran Shigaraki artist Minagawa Takashi enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It is 15 x 13 x 19 cm (6 x 5 x 8 inches) and is in fine condtion.
Takashi was borni in Shigaraki in 1930, and raised among the many kilns in the valley. He apprenticed under Komori Shoan, and uses both climbing and Subteranian kilns to the extent that no one is said to be able to approach his kiln effects. His work is exhibited in Japan’s top galleries, including Kuroda Toen (Ginza) and a host of Department store galleries.

Waves of color belt this unusual form by Usui Kazunari enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It is 20 inches (50 cm) tall, roughly 8 inches (20 cm) diameter and in fine condition.
Usui Kazunari was born in Seto city, Aichi in 1954, and graduated the Nagoya University of Art, sculpture division in 1977. He immediately apprenticed under Kato Shuntei, where he remained until establishing his own kiln in 1983. He has been often displayed at the Nihon Dento Kogeiten and Nihon Togeiten. In 1996 one of his works was chosen to travel overseas with the Contemporary KŌGEI Styles in Japan Exhibition (Gendai Nihon no Kogei Ten). He has received many awards, including top prize at the Tokai Dento Kogeiten (twice).

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

This is a stunner; a piece exemplifying the style of this incredible artist! Radical black florals decorate the rich iron sides of the bowl, tapering ever so slightly closed toward the top to help trap the aroma of the green tea within. Imagine the color contrast of dark earth-tones with the foamy maccha inside! It comes enclosed in a fine kiri-wood box endorsed by Kawai Koha, current head of the Kawai Kanjiro Museum. The bowl is 4-3/4 inches (12 cm) in diameter, 3-1/2 inches (9 cm) tall and in perfect condition. 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.

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.

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 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

Spectacular keshiki resulting from the combination of multiple kiln affects and textures defines this large footed slab by Kanzaki Shiho enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It is 14 x 20 inches (36 x 51 cm) and in excellent condition.
Kanzaki (b. 1942) prefers firing his kiln for ten days, resulting in the rich textures and heavy ash deposits apparent on this Tsubo. He began life born in Shigaraki, and was fast tracked into the Kansai University Law Department, but rather the life of a lawyer, after graduation he went with his heart to take up the precarious life of a potter, apprenticing under Mino artist Matsuyama Suketoshi. Later he returned to Shigaraki working there at the research center while developing his own style and methods with the Anagama. He has consistently stayed with the personal world of private exhibitions, developing a large following both at home and abroad and his list of exhibitions is impressive. .He has been the subject of several documentaries and Television interviews, and is widely published. For more information see, The Fire Artist, a documentary by Canadian Director Claude Gagnon.

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.

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.

Lines of burnt straw scar the surface of this voluminous work by Yamamoto Yuichi enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It is 17-1/2 inches (45 cm) tall, 9 x 10 inches (23 x 25.5 cm) at the base and in excellent condition.
Born the son of Living National Treasure Yamamoto Toshu, Yuichi was raised among the clay and kilns of Bizen, at a vital time when Bizen was devastated by the war economy, and the dramatic years of growth and research following. He began making pottery in 1959, at a time when artists were both working to revive old traditions and styles, and yet invoking new forms and sculptural techniques on their work. He travelled extensively, incorporating foreign influences into his body of work. He has exhibited with the Nihon Dento Kogei Ten Traditional Arts and Crafts Exhibition, Nihon Togei Ten National Pottery Exhibition, as well as a plethora of private and public galleries both domestic and abroad. He received the Kaneshige Toyo pottery award in 1976. He was also awarded Grand Prize at the Tanabe Museum Modern Forms in Tea Ceremony Exhibition in 1996. Works by the artist are held in the French National Ceramics Museum, and the collection of the Imperial Household among others

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).

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.

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.

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

A thick glazed tokkuri and chokko cup by Koyama Kiyoko enclosed in the original signed wooden box. The Tokkuri has a playful stance, slightly cocky and leaning, as if it wants to pour. Both are covered in thick, dripping ash glaze, a product of her legendary long firings, sometimes lasting ten days. It is 5 inches (13 cm) tall and in fine condition.
Kiyoko was the subject of the film Hi-Bi (2005) and is the pioneering female wood firing artist in Japan. Born in Sasebo, Nagasaki in 1938, she went to Shigaraki village, home of one of Japans Six Ancient Kilns (RokkoGama). There she studied the traditional techniques,, and bore the brunt of centuries of discrimination against women. Through it all she persevered to become one of the most highly sought of Shigaraki potters. It is a true pleasure to be able to offer this piece. For more see Soaring Voices-Contemporary Japanese Women Ceramic Artists (2009).

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.”

molten ash streaks around the form of this superb Shigaraki Tsubo enclosed in the original signed wooden box dating circa 1996 by pottery legend Furutani Michio. It is 8 inches (20.5 cm) diameter, 8-1/2 inches (21 cm) tall and in fine condition.
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 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.

A superb work by Japanese Living National Treasure Hara Kiyoshi enclosed in the original signed wooden box dating circa 1985. It is 14 inches (35 cm) diameter, roughly the same height and in fine condition. Due to size the cost of shipping will be accrued separately.
Hara Kiyoshi (b. 1936) was born in Shimane, and studied pottery under Living National Treasures Ishiguro Munemaru and Shimizu Uichi from 1954 before establishing his own kiln, first in Tokyo, then later in Saitama. He was first selected for exhibit at the National Traditional Crafts Exhibition in 1958. In 63 he first exhibited at the Asahi Togeiten Ceramics Exhibition. Since his work has received much attention,both within Japan and abroad in Europe, The Americas and Asia. He received the Japan Ceramic Society prize in 1975, and was named a Living National Treasure for Tetsu-yu in 2005 and is recipient of the Order of the Rising Sun.

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 set of four unusual small dishes enclosed in the original signed wooden box by Kitaoji Rosanjin (1883-1959), one of Japans most famous 20th century artists. Iron reds underlie the pale earthen glaze, with a dollop of Oribe green on one side. Almost as if planned, the pieces have firing cracks filled with black lacquer, adding a fourth consideration to the standard essentials: form, design and glazing. Each dish is roughly 5-1/2 inches (14 cm) diameter. As mentioned there are firing flaws and one piece has a small gold repair on the edge. Judging by the work it is very possible this was a set of dishes originally for use in one of his restaurants. For more (and similar works accentuating firing flaws like this) see the current exhibition at the Kyoto Museum of Modern Art.
They say adversity is the mother of invention, and Rosanjin can be said to epitomize that expression. Born during the tumultuous first half of the Meiji period in the cultural center of Kyoto, he was adopted at age six by a woodblock carver. He showed an early genius for calligraphy, and began his early manhood as a carver of seals and carver/painter of shop signs after a brief apprenticeship to a pharmacy. He also taught calligraphy and bought and sold antiques during these early years. In 1921 he founded what would become the impetus for his life’s work, his first restaurant, the Bishoku club, and followed in 1925 with a restaurant in Tokyo called the Hoshigaoka. Rosanjin began working in ceramics to replace the collection of dishes that was destroyed in the 1923 Kanto Earthquake. He was largely a self taught artist with a diverse range, beginning with a kiln on his rented property .in Kamakura, and later paying visits for brief apprenticeships to many of the days top artists. He retired to work exclusively on the arts in 1936. Magazine editor, lacquer artist, metal-working and finally store owner in Tokyo’s Ginza, Rosanjin was everywhere at once. He was displayed at the museum of Modern Art in New York in 1954, a rare honor indeed for living artist. Like his contemporary, Kawai Kanjiro, Rosanjin was offered the title of Living National Treasure in 1955 for his work in Oribe pottery, but refused the offer.

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.

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 set of five concentric back glazed sake-cups enclosed in the original signed wooden box by Yagi Akira. They vary in size from 2-1/2 inches to 4 inches diameter (6.5 to 10 cm) and in excellent condition. For a similar (admittedly larger) set see “Contemporary Clay, Japanese Ceramics for the New Century “(2005) by Joe Earle.
This name is a must have in any collection of modern Japanese Pottery. Akira was born in Kyoto in 1955, son of avant garde Yagi Kazuo (1918-1979) one of the founding members of Sodeisha. Akira was voted one of the 20 most important living artists by Honoho, Japans premier printed ceramic forum. Works by the artist are held in the British Museum, Victoria Albert Museum, Cleveland Art Museum, Sackler Gallery of the Smithsonian and Tokyo Museum of Modern Art among many others. He was also the recipient of the Japan Ceramic Society (JCS) award in 1998, one in a long and prestigious list of awards. For more see “Quiet Clarity, Rin” (1996) or the aforementioned “Contemporary Clay, Japanese Ceramics for the New Century “(2005) by Joe Earle.

A small dish from the 1960s by Fujihira Shin enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It is 8 inches (20 cm) diameter and in fine condition.
Fujihira Shin (b. 1922-2012) was born into the family of a ceramics dealer in Kyoto, raised among the pots, and attended the Art University, however, in his second year would lose four years of his life to battling illness. This life and death struggle would make him a strong character, coming forth from then on in his works. He would come to the National Scene first upon receiving the Hokutosho prize at the Nitten National Exhibition in 1958. This brought him to the forefront of the ceramics scene. He was awarded the JCS (Japan Ceramic Society) award in 1973. During his career works by him were often selected to represent Japan and it’s arts overseas, in Europe, and the Americas. He was awarded the order of cultural merit in 1991 by Kyoto prefecture. In 1993 the Mainichi Ceramics Prize. In 1996 Kyoto prefectural order of cultural merit and in 1998 received the Japan Ceramic Society Gold Prize, one of the highest honors for a Japanese potter. Held in the collections of the V&A, National Museum in Warsaw, The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo has more than a dozen pieces, only to be outdone by Kyoto which has more than 20 pieces. For more see “Japanese Ceramics Today Part 1” 2003.

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.