Catalog (919)

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

A stunning Globular Bizen vase like burnished bronze covered by a dusting of ash by living National Treasure Yamamoto Toshu enclosed in an artist signed wooden box. The style is called Sangiri, and Toshu has pulled it off to perfection here, the keen characteristic suiting this artists work. It is likely an older (pre-war) work boxed later. The vase is 7 inches (17 cm) diameter, roughly the same height. There is a mark on the base, roughly 2 inches long. Toshu, (1906-1994) began working in a pottery at the age of 15. 12 years ater (1933) he went independent, but interestingly decided to train again later not under a Bizen master, but Kusube Yaichi, perhaps stimulating his unusual eye for Bizen. After much acclaim, it was in 1959 that he made his worldwide appearance, with a gold prize at the Brussels World Exposition, and was named an important cultural property of Okayama that same year. He was most in love with the wheel, and his forms are crisp and sharp. He was named a living national Treasure in 1987. Works by the artist are held in the National Museum of Modern Art Tokyo and National Museum of Modern Art Kyoto as well as the Victoria Albert Museum among many others.

Encrusted in blue glass, this Iga Tokkuri by Furutani Kazuya is a pleasure to see and hold. It is 5 inches (12. Cm) tall, 3 inches (8.5 cm) diameter and in perfect condition, enclosed in the original signed wooden box.
Kazuya (b. 1976) is one of Japan’s most promising young stars. He graduated the Yamaguchi College of Art in 1997, and spent a year at the ceramics research facility in Kyoto before returning to work under his father, Furutani Michio, in Shigaraki. His Father’s sudden death in 2000 pushed Kazuya to the fore, and left him with big shoes to fill. That he has done! Building three Anagama in the following decade and displaying with the National Ceramics Exhibition and a number of private affairs in some of Japan’s top venues.

Namako glaze runs down, creating rivers flowing around the horns on the sides of this massive pot by Suzuki Kenji (1935-2010). Looking within one sees the volcanic explosions where the glaze pooled, bubbled and burst in the center. The vessel is 18 inches (45.5 cm) tall, roughly 13 inches (33 cm) square and weighs 20.5 kg (45 pounds). It is in fine condition. By size and structure it would be acceptable for display either inside or out.
This is from the Matsui family collection of Fushimi, an extensive collection of art objects encompassing many aspects of crafts, including sculpture, Pottery and Metalwork, largely from Kyoto area Artists. It would seem they had a special connection with the Suzuki family, as they owned many pieces, including bowls, vases and larger sculptural works which we happily acquired.
Born into a long line of Kyoto potters, Suzuki Kenji studied initially (as did his brother Takuji) of course under his father Suzuki Kiyoshi. He Graduated from the Kyoto University of Fine Arts in 1957 where he studied under Kondo Ryuzo, Tomimoto Kenkichi and Fujimoto Nodo and apprenticed with the Sixth Kiyomizu Rokubei. He was first accepted into the Nitten in 1958, and was exhibited and awarded there many times over the following years. In 1960 he was awarded the Mayors prize at the Kyoten. Throughout the 60s he submitted to international events in North and Central America, Australia, New Zealand and Europe. Also from 1965 to 1971 he worked as assistant professor to the 7th Kiyomizu Rokubei at his alma-matter. In 1967 he was awarded the Hokuto-sho prize at the Nitten for his work White Orb. In 1976 he established a new Kiln in Yamashina. He was awarded the order of Cultural Merit by Kyoto prefecture for his lifes work in 2005. Works by the artist are held in the collections of the Kyoto Prefectural Museum, Kyoto Municipal Museum and Kyoto University of Art among others. His research into metal glazes will have a long standing affect on contemporary pottery in Kyoto. Widely published, he wrote a book for the Tokyo National Museum of Modern Art titled Contemporary Ceramic Art : Canada, USA, Mexico and Japan (1971) as well as Sōsaku tōgei no tenkai / sekinin henshū (1984) among many others.

A family of Stonefish (Okoze), the deadliest fish in the world, swim across the pure white surface of this large Tsubo by Uchida Tadashi enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It is 12 inches (30 cm) diameter, 13 inches (34 cm) tall and in excellent condition. The box is titled Tetsu-e Okoze-Mon Tsubo (Tsubo decorated with Okoze fish in Iron) and includes a thank you card from the artist to the collector. A label tied to the box chord states it was purchased from an exhibition at Takashimaya Department Store in the summer of 1996.
This is from the Matsui family collection of Fushimi, an extensive collection of art objects encompassing many aspects of crafts, including sculpture, Pottery and Metalwork, largely from Kyoto area Artists.
Born in Gifu in 1947, from 1968 Tadashi studied Hakuji and Sometsuke under Kondo Ryuzo, entering his first National exhibition (Nihon Dento Kogeiten) in 1974. In 1977 he established his own kiln on the former Ninnami Dohachi Kiln site in Kyoto.

A large sculptural vase by Eiraku Zengoro XVI (Sokuzen, 1917-1998) enclosed in the original signed wooden box dating from the 1950s, an era when Japan was redefining its own views on art. This is an excellent example of work from that time. Born into traditional tea ware, Zengoro XVI was with the rest of his compatriots, experimenting with new ideas and new forms, unafraid of a dawning new era. This piece is 35.5 cm (14.5 inches) tall, 17 cm (7 inches) square and in fine condition. Born in Kyoto in 1917, into the house of the 15th generation Eiraku Zengoro. Losing his father at 15 he was immediately enrolled in the Kyoto School of Crafts and took over the family name in 1935. From 1937 to 1945 he fired from a kiln on the grounds of the Mitsui residence in Kanagawa prefecture as well as from Kyoto. Married at 25, his first son was born two years later, but he lost his wife in 1945, the same year he stopped working at the Mitsui kiln and Japan’s war effort collapsed, hurling the country into an era of uncertainty. As one of the 10 providers of tea ceramics to the main tea schools, he was able to get the family kiln moving again and prospering by 1949. During the 50s he exhibited both contemporary and traditional forms in the Top venues, Takashimaya and Mitsukoshi as well as at the Matsuzakaya. After a lifetime of production he was awarded the Order of Cultural Merit in 1986 from Kyoto. Work by the artist is held in the Kyoto National Museum among many others.

The edges burn dark brown on this large Bizen vase by Kawabata Fumio enclosed in the original signed wooden box. Green ash clings to the upper surface, peeling away from the superheated corners, the bottom rich dark raw clay. The vase is (‘29 x 21 x 36 cm) tall and in excellent condition.
Fumio was born in Yokohama city in 1948, far from the traditional kilns of Bizen hundreds of kilometers to the west in Okayama. After studying graphic design he was captivated by the natural landscapes presented by Bizen wares, and in 1974 moved to study pottery at the Ibu-no Kamamoto. His talent was spotted quickly and he was taken in by Kaneshige Riuemon where he was schooled in the gamut of traditional forms and styles. By 1984 he was considered a master potter, and moved to establish his own kiln. Concentrating largely on the personal world of private exhibitions, in 1989 he was given top prize at the Tanabe Museum Cha no Yu Zokei Ten (Sculptural Forms in Tea exhibition), and again was awarded there in 1994 as well as receiving the Okayama Prefectural Governors prize and has been prized at the National Ceramics Biennnale.

A draping curtain of dark torn Bizen clay folds over the enigmatic form of this vase by Kaneshige Kosuke enclosed in the original signed wooden box. Texture varies from chattered extrusion to long, combed lines. Soft shades of color glow on the sides of the dark clay. The vase is 9 inches (23 cm) tall, 13 inches (33 cm) wide and in excellent condition, dating circa 1990.
Kaneshige Kosuke was born in 1943, third son of Bizen pillar Kaneshige Toyo. He studied from an early age with his father, then to Tokyo where he graduated the sculpture department of the Tokyo University of Art. Since he has been exhibited at the Nihon Kogeiten (Japan National Crafts Exhibition), Asahi Togei Ten (Asahi Ceramics Exhibition) and Tanabe Chanoyu Sculpture Exhibit. He has also been exhibited in the Tokyo National Museum of Modern Art, as well as internationally in New York, Paris, Seoul and Boston. He is held in the Tokyo National Museum of Modern Art, The Suntory Collection and the Okayama Museum of Modern Art among others.

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

A large and rare work by Sueoka Nobuhiko enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It is decorated with huge magnolia flowers (in Japanese mokuren,the tree lotus) growing up one side, and hanging down the other like the traditional opposing dragons. The piece is 16 inches (40 cm) tall and in excellent condition
Nobuhiko was born in Fukuoka on Japans Main Sothern Island in 1948, and apprenticed under future Living National Treasure Fujimoto Yoshimichi in 1973. He stayed working with Yoshimichi for 16 years, before establishing his own kiln in 1989, and moving to mountainous Nagano Prefecture in 1995. Although he has been displayed at the Nihon Dento Kogei Ten (National Traditional Crafts Exhibition) the artist has mostly eschewed the world of National competitions in favor of private exhibition, with small output works by this artist are hard to find and very much in demand.

Burnt yellow glaze streaks down the body to form encrustations of glazz on the base of this organic looking vessel by Hori Ichiro enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It is 10 inches (25.5 cm) tall and in excellent condition.
Hori Ichiro (b. 1952) graduated the Tajimi School of Industrial Design and apprenticed under Kato Kozo. He has been awarded the Governors prize at the Asahi Ceramics Exhibtion, and has been displayed at the Chunichi Kokusai Togei Ten as well as Nihon Dento Kogei Ten. He says, “I believe in making pottery which is born of nature…”

A very cool Ginsai covered dish by Banura Shiro enclosed in the original signed wooden box. Bright silver swirls to the center alternated by wrinkled lead colored glaze. It is 8 inches (20.5 cm) diameter and in excellent condition.
Shiro was born the fourth son of Living National Treasure for Lacquerware. His sensitivity to textures may stem from that exacting influence. Although his older brother succeeded the family tradition (another branching into paper arts), Shiro, after graduating the Kyoto University of Fine Art, apprenticed in the plastic arts under Kawamura Kitaro (1899-1966). He has an impressive list of exhibitions, including a private exhibition at the Umeda Kindai Bijutsu-Ten as well as the Niponbashi Mitsukoshi, Takashimaya, and Ikebukuro Tobu, the equivalent of being displayed on New Yorks Fifth Avenue or other cities most Trendy streets, as well as many international exhibitions. Like most Iga-area artists, his output is low, but quality and originality high, making his work very much in demand.

Each uniquely carved row of frets on this large textured koro is a variegated shade of raw clay by Matsuzaki Ken enclosed in the original signed wooden box. The piece measures7 inches (17 cm) square, 9 inches (22 cm) tall and is in fine condition.
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�AMuseum 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.

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

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

Charred ash deposits are baked into the side of this large Tsubo by Shigaraki Representative Otani Shiro enclosed in the original signed wooden box. Rivulets strike out from the heat blasted face, the coloring pleasing on all sides. The Tsubo is 10-1/2 inches (26 cm) diameter, 9 inches (23 cm) tall and in perfect condition.
Shiro (born 1936), of Shigaraki, was a student of Living National Treasure Shimizu Uichi and Kiyomizu Kyubei. He established his first kilns, a noborigama climbing kiln and Anagama in Shigaraki in 1973. He has since been displayed and prized at many National events, and has been guest lecturer at a number of universities in the United States.

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

A pair of men-tori gourd shaped sake flasks by Living National Treasure Kondo Yuzo enclosed in the original signed wooden box. One flask is decorated in blue with bamboo and the characters Sei-Fu (pure wind). The second is dated in blue and pink with pomegranates with the inscription “For the use of Yuzo, October 27, 1976”. Both are signed on the base. It is likely these came from the artists own personal collection. Each stands roughly 5 inches (13 cm) tall. There are two fractures visible in the glaze of the pomegranate flask.
Kondo Yuzo (1902-1985) was born in the Gojozaka district of Kyoto and studied alongside Kawai Kanjiro and Hamada Shoji at the Kyoto Ceramics Reseaerch 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.