Catalog (775)

A set of five deep plates by Living National Treasure Kondo Yuzo decorated with pomegranates in blue on snow white porcelain. The are 20.5 cm (8 inches) diameter and in excellent condition, each signed on back. They come in a custom made contemporary box. Kondo Yuzo (1902-1985) was born in the Gojozaka district of Kyoto and studied alongside Kawai Kanjiro and Hamada Shoji at the Kyoto Ceramics Research facility, where he studied kiln technique directly under Shoji. He then apprenticed under recently returned Tomimoto Kenkichi for three years before establishing himself as a unique artist in the Kiyomizu district of Kyoto in 1924. He served as a professor at the Kyoto University of Art where he helped shape generations of potters. After an illustrious career he was named a Living National Treasure for Sometsuke Porcelain in 1977. Works by the artist are held in the collection of the LACMA, Cleveland and Brooklyn Museums of Art, Kyoto Municipal and Tokyo National Museums of Modern Art among many others.

Sitg White crystalline glaze clings to the purple pitted sides of this fantastic set of 3 Mentori Shu-hai sake cups made especially for an exhibition in 2004 by Kato Toyohisa enclosed in the original signed wooden box. Enclosed is the original exhibition invitation showing a similar set. 1 cup is 5 inches (12 cm) tall, 4-1/2 inches (11 cm) diameter; the others are roughly 3-1/2 inches (9 cm) tall, 4 inches (10 cm) diameter. Toyohisa was born in 1962. His work is both original and fresh and his challenging pursuit of Mino ceramics is evident in both his contemporary pieces and his traditional ones. He first exhibited at the Asahi Ceramics Exhibition in 1983, and was awarded the rising star award. That same year he was awarded at the Tajimi City (home to innumerable Mino potteries) Art Exhibition. He has also exhibited and or been prized at the Tokai Dento Kogei ten, Mino Togei Ten, Issui Kai Ten and Gendai Chato Ten (modern Tea Ceramics Exhibition). In addition is a long list of Private exhibitions both domestic and abroad.

A set of five E-Karatsu Mukozuke by Nakazato Tarouemon XIII enclosed in the original signed wooden box. Radically brushed birds rise up into the sky, framed by a vertical bars of iron; inside soft earthen white. Each is roughly 3 inches (8 cm) diameter, 2-1/2 inches (6.5 cm) tall and in excellent condition, bearing the Tarouemon three star mark on the base.
Nakazato Shigetoshi was born in 1930 the third son of Living National Treasure Tarouemon XII (Muan) of Karatsu fame. He was first exhibited at the Nitten National Exhibition in 1952, and received the Matsuzakaya prize at the Modern Ceramics Exhibit 4 years later, the first of a great many awards culminating in the Saga Prefectural Cultural Award in 1985 given not lightly for his lifetime endeavors. He can be found in the British Museum among others.

A set of five Yunomi in pale glaze with green stripes by Koyama Fujio enclosed in the original wooden box titled Yunomi and signed Hananoki Gama. Each is 8 cm (3 inches) tall, 6 cm diameter and all are in excellent condition. The writing on the box is unmistakably that of Fujio.
Koyama Fujio was born in 1900 in Okayama Prefecture. From 1925 he studied under Mashimizu Zoroku and began making pottery in Kyoto. In 1941 he participated in a research trip to ancient kiln sites in China and discovered the old Ding Kiln site. His contribution to research in ancient potteries cannot be overestimated. He worked in the Tokyo Teishitsu Museum (current Tokyo National Museum), and then joined the Intangible Culture Division of Cultural Properties Protection Committee. In 1955 he helped to curate the Song porcelain masterpieces exhibition which was held to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the founding of the Japan Ceramic Association. In 1959 he was appointed Cultural Properties Investigator, Intangible Culture Division, Cultural Properties Protection Committee Secretariat. In 1961 he was named an honorary member of the British Oriental Ceramics Association. In 1967 he was appointed Chairman of the Japan Crafts Association. In 1971 he was awarded the Order of the Sacred Treasure, Third Class by the emperor. In 1972 he was awarded the Kanagawa Prefectural Award for Cultural Merit, then established the Hananoki Kiln in Toki City, Gifu Prefecture. He died three years later.

A set of five yunomi by Suzuki Osamu enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Kao no Aru Yunomi. Each cup has a small face on one side, pale glaze covering all but that smiling fellow and the foote. Each cup is 3 inches (8 cm) tall and in fine condition.
Osamu was, along with Kumakura Junkichi, Hikaru Yamada and Yagi Kazuo, one of the founding members of the influential Sodeisha (Crawling Through Mud Association), a group of revolutionary post war ceramic artists whose influence remains strong today. Works by him are in too many collections to note in this small add, including the Kyoto and Tokyo National Museums of Modern Art, Victoria Albert and New York Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art.

A colorful Guinomi Sake cup by Shibata Masamitsu enclosed in the original signed wooden box. The design, while technically perfect, is playful with soft colors which allow the viewer a childish sense of wonder. It is 6 cm diameter, 7.5 cm (3 inches) tall and in excellent condition, directly from the artist.
Shibata Masamitsu was born in Toki City, the heart of Mino country, in 1961. After graduating from Kyotos Ritsumeikan Daigaku University, He spent a year at the Tajimi Ceramics Research Facility. His work is an extension of his personality, a little quirky, a little cute, always colorful!

A large deep bowl decorated in abstract underglaze blue imagery by Shibata Ryozo enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Sometsuke Hachi and dating circa 1995. It is 35 cm (14 inches) diameter, 25.5 cm (10 inches) deep and in excellent condition.
Shibata Ryozo (b. 1952) completed advanced studies at the Kyoto Municipal University of Arts in 1978 (his work was purchased by the university the previous year for its permanent collection). In 1993 he first exhibited with the Nihon Dento Kogei Ten National Traditional Crafts Association, and in 94 was awarded at the Izushi Porcelain Trienial in Hyogo. After that he concentrated more on the Kansai area, and has been awarded at the Kyoto Bijutsu Kogeiten (97), Kyoto Kogei Bijutsu Sakka Kyokai Ten (98), Seto Sometsuke Exhibition (99) and Osaka Crafts Exhibition on multiple occasions. He has been a guest speaker at the University of Michigan in 2005, and artist in residence in Campbell Australia in 2006. Just this year his work was selected for exhibition in Boston at the Society of Arts and Crafts. In 2014 his work was collected by the Imperial household agency, and he is held in the collections of Kyoto City and Toyooka City Museums among others.

A large deep bowl decorated in abstract underglaze blue imagery by Shibata Ryozo enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Sometsuke Hachi and dating cica 1995. It is 28 cm (11 inches) diameter, 14 cm (5-1/2 inches) deep and in excellent condition.
Shibata Ryozo (b. 1952) completed advanced studies at the Kyoto Municipal University of Arts in 1978 (his work was purchased by the university the previous year for its permanent collection). In 1993 he first exhibited with the Nihon Dento Kogei Ten National Traditional Crafts Association, and in 94 was awarded at the Izushi Porcelain Trienial in Hyogo. After that he concentrated more on the Kansai area, and has been awarded at the Kyoto Bijutsu Kogeiten (97), Kyoto Kogei Bijutsu Sakka Kyokai Ten (98), Seto Sometsuke Exhibition (99) and Osaka Crafts Exhibition on multiple occasions. He has been a guest speaker at the University of Michigan in 2005, and artist in residence in Campbell Australia in 2006. Just this year his work was selected for exhibition in Boston at the Society of Arts and Crafts. In 2014 his work was collected by the Imperial household agency, and he is held in the collections of Kyoto City and Toyooka City Museums among others.

An exquisite black clay guinomi from Tokoname engraved with white lines by Shibata Yoshiaki enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It is 2-1/2 inches (7 cm) diameter and in excellent condition.
Yoshiaki is credited with having discovered the secret of this black clay, now in use by any number of atists in Tokoname. He was born in 1946, and apprenticed under Living National Treasure Yamada Jozan, becoming one of his top pupils. He established his own kiln in 1965 producing traditional tea ware as well as art objects. In 1972 he was recognized at the Vallauris International Ceramics Exhibition, and has had innumerable public and private exhibitions since.

A Superb Shigaraki Chawan by Sugimoto Sadamitsu enclosed in the original wooden box signed beneath by the artist and endorsed by Tea Master Tachibana Daiki of Daitokuji Temple. It is 4 x 5 x 3-1/2 inches (10.5 x 13 x 9 cm) and is in fine condition.
Sugimoto Sadamitsu was born in Tokyo in 1935. A strong adherent to the Zen tradition, Sadamitsu established his own kiln at 33, receiving the kiln name from his mentor Daitokuji priest Tachibana Oki. His Zen studies have refined the spiritual side of his work, and all of his wood fired ceramics have a quiet and confident power. He has spent his life in the research of kohiki, Shigaraki Iga and Raku wares, and is more than well known in tea circles for the discriminating soul of his works. For more information on this artist see the book Fired with passion : contemporary Japanese ceramics ISBN 1-891640-38-0.
Tachibana Daiki (1898-2005) born in Osaka, entered the Buddhist orders at Nansoji. He later moved to Myoshinji in Kyoto where he received Inka. He would go on to serve as the 511th abbot of Daitokuji, and be given the reins of Nyoian in Tokusenji, a subtemple of Daitokuji. He would serve as head of Hanazono University and was a strong proponent of The Way of Tea.

A fabulous Kutsugata Chawan by Matsuo Takaaki enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Shigarai Shizen-yu Yohen Chawan. Rising from a round base to an elongated rim, it has been blasted by the inferno on one side, the molten ash circling about to form a Zen circle where it had been supported on its side in the kiln. At the narrowest part of the rim it has adhered to something else in the kiln, causing a break which has been filled with gold by the artist. In addition gold completes the Zen circle on the side, and glimmers like morning dew on the foot. A true masterpiece by this veteran artist. It is 14.5 x10.5 cm (5-1/2 x 4-1/8 inches) at the rim, 8.5cm(3-1/2 inches) tall and in excellent condition.
Matsuo Takaaki was born in Yokohama in 1938. He began studies under Tsuji Seimei at Renkoji in 1960 where he trained for over 15 years. He became independent in 1975 and built a climbing kiln in Tama. Since he has been exhibited with the Issuikai but mainly focuses on the intimacy of private exhibitions.

A covered container made as an incense burner by Koyama Kiyoko slabbed and cored from Shigaraki clay and covered in glassy green motlen ash enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It is 13.5 cm (5-1/2 inches) diameter, roughly the same height and in excellent condition.
Koyama Kiyoko was born in Sasebo, Nagasaki in 1936. Following the second world war the family moved to Shiga prefecture, eventually settling in the pottery village of Shigaraki. She took a job as a ceramic painter's assistant at a young age. In 1954 she began to work as a pottery decorator in Shigaraki under Nakashima Takamitsu. Later she moved to Kyoto to study Kenzan ware and Sometsuke under Yoshitake Eijiro. Aged 27 she began working in earnest in clay and studying clay technique under Misawa Kenzo. Enthralled by an ancient pot shard with natural blue ash glaze, she sought to recreate this effect in modern times, building her own kiln and repeatedly firing, searching for that magic point, but slowly pushing the family toward insolvency. Not only was she attempting to break barriers with the pots she created, but she was forced to break barriers in a male dominated world where women were prohibited from the wood fired kiln as unworthy. She did have her supporters of course, and with their help and persistence and ever longer firings she eventually succeeded in finding that blue. Kiyoko has a list of shows and prizes which would fill pages, including the Nihon Dento Kogei Ten Traditional Crafts Exhibition, Nihon Togei Ten Ceramic Exhibition, the Asahi Togei Ten Ceramics Exhibition as well as many international exhibitions. Her son Koyama Kenichi (1961-1992) worked to take over the family kiln, but succumbed to Leukemia after a long fight. Their story is the subject of the film Hi-Bi (2005) and the recent NHK television drama Scarlet. She is the preeminent pioneering female wood firing artist in Japan, 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. For more on her works see Modern Japanese Ceramics in American Collections, Japan Society New York, 1993

The surface of this rough slab is like an eroded plain with rivulets of glass running to a clouded pool in the center, signed along the edge and enclosed in the original signed wooden box by Sugimoto Sadamitsu. It is roughly 20-1/2 x 8-1/2 x 3 inches (52 x 21.5 x 8 cm) and in perfect condition.
Sadamitsu was born in Tokyo in 1935. A strong adherent to the Zen tradition, Sadamitsu established his own kiln at 33, receiving the kiln name from his mentor Daitokuji priest Tachibana Oki. His Zen studies have refined the spiritual side of his work, and all of his wood fired ceramics have a quiet and confident power. He has spent his life in the research of kohiki, Shigaraki Iga and Raku wares, and is more than well known in tea circles for the discriminating soul of his works. For more information on this artist see the book Fired with passion : contemporary Japanese ceramics ISBN 1-891640-38-0.

Ash simply blankets this vessel by Koyama Kiyoko enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Shigaraki Shizen-yu Tetsuki Hanaire. It is 29 cm (just less than 12 inches) tall, roughly 5 inches diameter and in excellent condition.
Koyama Kiyoko was born in Sasebo, Nagasaki in 1936. Following the second world war the family moved to Shiga prefecture, eventually settling in the pottery village of Shigaraki. She took a job as a ceramic painter's assistant at a young age. In 1954 she began to work as a pottery decorator in Shigaraki under Nakashima Takamitsu. Later she moved to Kyoto to study Kenzan ware and Sometsuke under Yoshitake Eijiro. Aged 27 she began working in earnest in clay and studying clay technique under Misawa Kenzo. Enthralled by an ancient pot shard with natural blue ash glaze, she sought to recreate this effect in modern times, building her own kiln and repeatedly firing, searching for that magic point, but slowly pushing the family toward insolvency. Not only was she attempting to break barriers with the pots she created, but she was forced to break barriers in a male dominated world where women were prohibited from the wood fired kiln as unworthy. She did have her supporters of course, and with their help and persistence and ever longer firings she eventually succeeded in finding that blue. Kiyoko has a list of shows and prizes which would fill pages, including the Nihon Dento Kogei Ten Traditional Crafts Exhibition, Nihon Togei Ten Ceramic Exhibition, the Asahi Togei Ten Ceramics Exhibition as well as many international exhibitions. Her son Koyama Kenichi (1961-1992) worked to take over the family kiln, but succumbed to Leukemia after a long fight. Their story is the subject of the film Hi-Bi (2005) and the recent NHK television drama Scarlet. She is the preeminent pioneering female wood firing artist in Japan, 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. For more on her works see Modern Japanese Ceramics in American Collections, Japan Society New York, 1993. Unfortunately she passed away just two weeks before this show started.

A massive Shigaraki Tsubo by Kanzaki Shiho enclosed in the original signed wooden box. Spectacular keshiki resulting from the combination of multiple kiln affects and textures. The Tsubo is 19-1/2 inches (50 cm) tall, 15 inches (38 cm) diameter and in perfect condition, dating circa 1990. Due to size the cost of shipping will be figured separately from the list price.
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.

A perfect example of why Shigaraki is one of Japans most popular ceramic styles; a large tsubo urn covered in Hai-yu ash glaze by Yamamoto Ryuzan, enclosed in the original signed wooden box. Thick glaze covers the shoulder and runs in glassy rivulets down the charred front, while the back of the Tsubo, positioned away from the flame, remains pale white. Bidoro, flying ash all over with a dark kutsuki on front and brittle molten ash-charring at the base. On a small base, the piece leans slightly to one side, the natural presence entirely without pretense yet not lacking at all in impact. The tsubo is 14 inches (35 cm) tall, 12 inches (35 cm) diameter and in excellent condition.

A beautiful Shigaraki Chaire Tea urn by Matsuo Takaaki enclosed in the original signed wooden box measuring 5.5 cm (2 inches) diameter, 8 cm (3 inches) tall in excellent condition. Matsuo Takaaki was born in Yokohama in 1938. He began studies under Tsuji Seimei at Renkoji in 1960 where he trained for over 15 years. He became independent in 1975 and built a climbing kiln in Tama. Since he has been exhibited with the Issuikai but mainly focuses on the intimacy of private exhibitions.

A beautiful small Guinomi by Matsuo Takaaki enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Shigaraki Shizen-yu Yohen Hai. It is 7 cm 2-3/4 inches) diameter, 5 cm (2 inches) tall and in excellent condition.
Matsuo Takaaki was born in Yokohama in 1938. He began studies under Tsuji Seimei at Renkoji in 1960 where he trained for over 15 years. He became independent in 1975 and built a climbing kiln in Tama. Since he has been exhibited with the Issuikai but mainly focuses on the intimacy of private exhibitions.

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 spectacular faceted work by Ueda Mitsuharu enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Shigaraki Mentori Kabin. It is 9 x 11 x 11 inches (28 x 24 x 28 cm) and is in excellent condition.
Born in Fukuoka in 1957, and studied initially pottery in Tamba under Ogami Tsuyoshi before entering the Kyoto Prefectural Ceramic Research Facility, which he finished in 1983 followed by a year studying glazes in the Shiga Prefectural Kiln. That same year he entered the Koga Tea Culture Research place (Koga Sado Bunka Kenkyusho) and came under the influence of Koga Kenzo. In 1987 he came to study under Ueda Naokata, and has since taken over that kiln, becoming the 6th Naokata.

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 elegant bowl swept in a Zen circle of ink by Shigemori Yoko, the vessel evidencing several dips in white slip, creating a captivating sensibility which contests the simplicity of the coloration. It is 14 cm diameter, 8 cm tall and in perfect condition, directly from the artist’ family and comes enclosed in a wooden box annotated by her nephew.
Shigemori Yoko (1953-2021) was born in Kagoshima. Yoko came to Kyoto where she initially studied painting at the Kyoto Tankidai Art College, then moved to ceramics at the Kyoto Municipal Art University where she studied traditional pottery techniques under Kondo Yutaka before entering advanced courses under 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

Enigmatic script rises like fingerprints from the surface of this vertical black monolith by Shigemori Yoko dating from quite early in her career titled Autumn Field. The piece is slab-formed, the slabs pressed over a surface inscribed with mysterious scrawling and texts, one feels it possible to read, but it proves elusive. Like much of her work it is raw, Like garage band music. There is no other decoration, a powerful statement which staggers to one side. It is 14 x 17 x 40 cm (7 x 6 x 16 inches) and is in excellent condition.
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

Gold gleams in subtle wisps on the rim, and silver shimmers through tarnished metal glaze on this dark vessel by by Sakata Jinnai enclosed in the original signed wood box titled Saishoku Mizusashi. An intriguing combination of glazes over a modernist form, enigmatic patterns like fletching cascade down the dark sides, and iridescent clouds glimmer subtly on the surface with tinges of blue showing through about the shoulder. Amazing when moving in the light, it is very difficult to capture this in photographs. It is 15 cm (5-3/4 inches) diameter, 18.5 cm (7-1/2 inches) tall and in excellent condition.
Sakata Jinnai was born in Tokyo in 1943, and began as an apprentice under the legendary Kamoda Shoji in 1964, establishing his first kiln in 1966. His work was selected for display at the Nihon Dento Kogei Shinsaku Ten (National Traditional New Crafts Exhibition) in 1969, and the following year the Nihon Dento Kogei Ten (National Traditional Crafts Exhibition). In 1971 his work could be seen at the first Nihon Togeiten National Ceramics Exhibition. This event would tour the United States and Canada as well. Two years later he would be seen there again, and this time the show would tour South America. In 1977 he would move away from the competitive world of mass exhibitions and focus more on private galleries. He was the first artist selected for display at the newly opened Takashimaya Gallery in New York in 1993. Work by him is held in the collection of the British Museum, Rockefeller Foundation, Sakuma Museum, Waseda Universty Museum, as well as some of Japans holiest sites such as Ise Shrine, Izumo Shrine, Takachiho Shrine, Yakushiji in Nara and both Kodaiji and Enryakuji Temples in Kyoto. Not limited to clay, he also works in painting, Washi hand made paper (from 1995), and glass (from 2000).

This bowl by Shingu Sayaka looks to me as if it were made from petrified butterfly wings. It is titled Gakuyo Wan and comes enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It is 14 x 14 x 8.5 cm (5-1/2 x 5-1/2 x 3-1/2 inches) and is in excellent condition, directly from the artist. Shingu Sayaka was born in Osaka, the industrial and commercial heartland of central Japan, in 1979. She graduated the Osaka University of Arts in 2001, before being selected as an artist in residence at the The Shigaraki Ceramic Cultural Park. She exhibits her amazing sculptures at the Asahi Togeiten where she has garnered a number of awards, and has a list of exhibitions to back up her popularity.

An incredible organic form, the delicate petals appearing to waft in some tide by Shingu Sayaka enclosed in the original signed wooden box. A closed bud on the side is lined with hundreds of tiny sharp needles in black. It is 8 x 5 x 4 inches (20 x 12 x 10 cm) and in excellent condition.
Shingu Sayaka was born in Osaka, the industrial and commercial heartland of central Japan, in 1979. She graduated the Osaka University of Arts in 2001, before being selected as an artist in residence at the The Shigaraki Ceramic Cultural Park. She exhibits her amazing sculptures at the Asahi Togeiten where she has garnered a number of awards, and has a list of exhibitions to back up her popularity.

A large open vessel decorated with squirrels in kaki-otoshi style by Shinkai Kanzan enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It is 36 cm tall, 27 cm diameter and in excellent condition. Due to size this will require special shipping consideration.
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, where he would be captured after the Japanese surrender and 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 received 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 Nihon 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 striking large Han-zutsu Shino bowl by Kato Kageaki with cotton buffer and silk bag enclosed in the original signed wooden box. Linear forms lie shadowlike below the thick pitted shino glaze burnt red on the edges, the body torn and cut creating a vivacious landscape for the senses. The bowl is 5-1/2 inches (14 cm) diameter, 3-1/2 inches (9 cm) tall and in perfect condition. It comes wrapped in a custom fitted silk bag with a central cotton tuft, showing the high esteem and value lavished on the bowl. Kageaki (1899-1972) was the 12th generation head of the Kato clan, his ancestor Kagemitsu being the first of the Mino potters, establishing the family kiln in 1574. He was named a Prefectural Living Treasure (properly called Mukei Bunkazai or Intangible Cultural Property) in 1958. He was often displayed at and prized at the National Traditional Arts and Crafts Exhibition (Nihon Dento Kogeiten) and was a member of the Nihon Kogei Kai. His torch was passed to his son Kato Seizo and Mizuno Takuzo among others. The kiln is now headed by his grandson, the 14th generation head of the family Kato Yasukage.

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.

A raw black-clay sculpture rising vigorously to the occasion by Yamaguchi Mio titled Carpe Diem dating to later in 2023. It is 31 x 33.5 x 58.5 cm (12 x 13 x 23 inches) and is in excellent condition, directly from the artist. It comes with a signed wooden placard.
Due to size and weight this will require special shipping consideration.
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.

A stunning silver glazed Tokkuri by artist Kozuru Gen (b. 1938) in the original signed kiri wood box. The vase is completely covered in silver or platinum glaze with sansai like yellow and green in spontaneous crystalline dabs set in extra drippings of thick silver about the circumference. Countering this strength of character is faded orange, adding a subtle suggestion inside the mouth of the bulbous Tokkuri form. The vase, which dates circa 1980, is 7 inches (18 cm) tall. Gen has operated a kiln in both Fukuoka Japan as well as in Topsfield Massachusetts, and has participated in too many national and international exhibitions to mention. His work is held in the permanent collection of the Kyoto Museum of Modern Art among others.

A fabulous form in striking colors by Miwa Eizo enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Hagi Hanaire. Raised from a square, the vase has been flattened, covered in Hagi glaze, then the shorter corners slabbed away revealing the raw clay. Thus fired, it is an engaging work of art, obviously buried slightly in the embers on one side, where it goes from smokey gray to mottled lavender and white into pink as it rises. It is 21 x 21 cm (8 x 8 inches) at the base, 30 cm (12 inches) tall and in excellent condition.
Miwa Eizo (1946-1999) was born the second son of Living National Treasure Miwa Kyusetsu XI. He graduated the Private Musashino Art University and was a member of Japanese Traditional Crafts Society, often displayed at their National Exhibition (Nihon Dento Togeiten). He was recipient of top prize at the Tanabe Museums prestigious Modern Tea Forms Exhibition (Gendai Cha no Yu Zokei Ten). ). Unfortunately, he died in 1999 at the early age of fifty two. His brother Ryosaku succeeded the family name as Miwa Kyusetsu XII. He is held in the collection of the British Museum and The National Museum of Modern Art in Tokyo among others. For more on this artist see the book: The Ceramic Works of Eizo Miwa (2001) published posthumously by the preeminent Kuroda Toen art gallery of Tokyo.

A stack of fused Bowls hollowed out as a vase by Satonaka Hideto enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled simply Utsuwa dating circa 1976. During the post war era a great amount of research was done in reviving ancient firing techniques, many potters and scholars working on medieval kiln excavations would unearth stacks of bowls and mounds of fused pots where kilns had collapsed during firing dating from the Heian period on to the age of the climbing kiln. These were well known to ceramic artists and researchers at the time. Here Hideto brings one such deformation into the modern world, perhaps a commentary on the fragility of our human efforts. Ordinarily fused and covered in encrustation of ash, here the artist has taken the opposite effect, with a brilliant crackled yellow glaze. It is 7-1/2 inches (19 cm) tall and in excellent condition.
Satonaka Hideto (1932-1989) was born in Nagoya and graduated advanced studies at the prestigious Tokyo Kyoiku University Arts Department in 1956, then went on to study under Miyanohara Ken, exhibiting his first ceramic sculpture with the Totokai in 1961, and garnering the Itaya Hazan Prize for it. Throughout the ‘60s he would exhibit there earning several awards as well as at the Sankikai. From 1970 he moved to the circle of Yagi Kazuo, and would fall under the umbrella of Sodeisha. Two of his works would be selected and awarded for the first Nihon Togeiten National Ceramics Exhibition in 1971. The following year he would be awarded at the Faenza International Ceramics Exhibition. He would leave Sodeisha after the death of his mentor in 1979. He would participate in the Valauris International Ceramic Biennale among many other overseas extravaganzas. While working as a professor at the Bunkyo University Art Department his life ended suddenly in an automobile accident in 1989. Six works by him are held in both the National Museums of Modern Art in Tokyo and Kyoto

A life-size feminine image of a toilet slipper by Satonaka Hideto in light colored clay covered with Irabo glaze enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled simply Sakuhin and dating circa 1975. It is just over 9 inches (23.5 cm) long and in excellent condition. From the 1950s to the 1970s there was a deep interest in an earthy convention by young ceramic artists called Tsuchi no Aji (Taste of the earth), and this Irabo glaze may have been one of the most popular extensions of that aesthetic. Tsuchi no Aji is defined as "the beautiful complexion of bare fired earth" in the manner of several types of ancient Japanese pottery traditions and practiced anew by contemporary Japanese potters in the postwar period who admired it as a "natural feeling for the oneness of clay and kiln." Experiments with earth flavor in the sculptural ceramics of the Sōdeisha group ranged from forms suggesting live organisms to clay works that protested the industrial pollution of the earth.
Satonaka Hideto (1932-1989) was born in Nagoya and graduated advanced studies at the prestigious Tokyo Kyoiku University Arts Department in 1956, then went on to study under Miyanohara Ken, exhibiting his first ceramic sculpture with the Totokai in 1961, and garnering the Itaya Hazan Prize for it. Throughout the ‘60s he would exhibit there earning several awards as well as at the Sankikai. From 1970 he moved to the circle of Yagi Kazuo, and would fall under the umbrella of Sodeisha. Two of his works would be selected and awarded for the first Nihon Togeiten National Ceramics Exhibition in 1971. The following year he would be awarded at the Faenza International Ceramics Exhibition. He would leave Sodeisha after the death of his mentor in 1979. He would participate in the Valauris International Ceramic Biennale among many other overseas extravaganzas. While working as a professor at the Bunkyo University Art Department hi life ended suddenly in an automobile accident in 1989. Six works by him are held in both the National Museums of Modern Art in Tokyo and Kyoto

A black pipe reminiscent of both an ancient Japanese court cap and a industrial burner chimney by Shibata Shigeru dating circa 1978 enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Kuro-yu Kaki, Okoru (Black Glazed Vase Titled Rise-up or Occurrence). This piece strongly shows the convention of the second generation Sodeisha members interest in form over decoration. It is quite large at 15 inches (38 cm) tall and in excellent condition.
Shibata Shigeru was born in Tokyo in 1950, graduating the Kyoto Municipal University of Art in 1973, upon which time he moved to his present location. In 1975 he became a member of the avant-garde Sodeisha group which stressed form over function. He held his first solo exhibition in 1980, and was selected for exhibition at the 6th Nihon Togeiten National Ceramic Exhibition in 1981. From there he has concentrated on the more intimate confines of private galleries. For more see Sodeisha Avant Garde Japanese Ceramics, (1979) or Toh vol. 58.

A sculpture in black glaze by Yoshitake Hiroshi enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Sakuhin B and dating circa 1980. Very much in the vein of this important avant-garde organization, it has a great deal of presence compacted into a small space. A nearly identical work is published in the book: Sodeisha, 35th Anniversary (Sodeisha, Sanjugoshunen Kinenhan, 1983) which is titled Suikan (Inebriated). Interestingly, Suikan is also a homonym for water pipes. The sculpture is roughly 10-1/2 x 7-1/2 x 2-1/2 inches (19 x 27 x 6 cm) and is in excellent condition.
Yoshitake Hiroshi (Hiromu, 1938-2010) was born in Kyoto in 1938, entering the Kyoto Yoshigaoka School Ceramics Department in 1953. A member of Sodeisha, he currently resides in Nagano Prefecture. student. Along with Kawakami Rikizo and Kusano Fumihiko he helped to form the group Magma in 1958, centered on Outdoor sculpture and non functional forms. He began studying under Yagi Kazuo in 1964, becoming a member of Sodeisha in 1968. His works were selected for International Exhibition by that group (see Sodeisha Avant Garde Japanese Ceramics, 1979 plate 55). He moved to Nagano prefecture in 1990.