Catalog (915)

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.

This is a splendid example of work by one of Japans true ceramic masters, Kato Takuo (1917-2005), signed on the base and enclosed in the original signed and stamped wooden box titled Aoyu-kinsai Hanaike. The work surpasses the simplicity of the title, covered in rich blue glaze with silver clouding and gold highlights on the looping waves about the rim, the piece exemplifies the unusual forms favored by the artist in the late 80s and early 90s, leading up to his being given the most coveted title in Japan of living National Treasure. The simple bottle form decorated with convoluted loops reminds one of an ancient glass bottle pulled from 2000 years of sleep off the floor of the Aegean Sea. The vase stands 8-1/4 inches (21 cm) tall and is in perfect condition. Kato Takuo, I am sure, requires no introduction. He was trained in ceramics by both his father, Kato Kopei, 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. Sadly he passed away of pneumonia on January 12 of this year. This is a rare opportunity to acquire a piece by this highly sought Japanese Artist.

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

Each uniquely carved row of frets on this large textured vase is a variegated shade of raw clay by Mihara Ken enclosed in the original signed wooden box. The vase is 10 inches (25.5 cm) tall, 8-1/2 by 5-1/2 inches (22 x 14.5 cm) and dates circa 1994. Ken was born in Shimane prefecture in 1958, and apprenticed under Funaki Kenji at the age of 23. He has been exhibited and or prized at the All Japan Ceramic Exhibition (Nihon Togei Ten), Asahi Ceramic Exhibition, the National Traditional Crafts Exhibition (Nihon Dento Kogei Ten) as well as the Tanabe Museum Chanoyu no Zokei Ten (Modern tea forms Sculpture Exhibition). He has displayed in both Europe and America and is held in the permanent collection of the Tanabe Museum of Art and the New Orleans Museum of Art among others.

Here is an amazing vase by the most sought after of all Japanese potters, Kawai Kanjiro dating from the 1940s, enclosed in a fine kiri box endorsed by the Kawai Kanjiro Museum. The box is signed Kanjiro Saku, Gosu Hana-ire Hentsubo, Kawai Koha (Made by Kawai Kanjiro, a Gosu blue flower vase of altered urn shape, endorsed by Kawai Koha. Koha is Kanjiros daughter, and the current head of the Kawai Kanjiro Museum. The stately composure of its dramatic silhouette is surpassed only by the striking flashes of color dashed across the blue surface. Subtle yet seeming to speak of an excess of energy, the vase epitomizes work by this preeminent artist. The trapezoidal base rises to an elongated ovular center, from which extends a sharpened angular mouth. It is difficult to describe the power of this piece; one must hold it to truly appreciate the brilliance of its artistry. The vase is 8 inches (21 cm) tall, 5-1/2 by 4-1/2 inches (11 x 14 cm) across and is 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.

A phoenix flairs majestically out in minute detail on this large sometsuke vase by Nakamoto Chikuzan enclosed in the original signed wooden box. Written with an exacting hand, the bird is made up of hundreds of tiny strokes of the masters brush. Ordinarily we do not work with sometsuke however this is a powerful piece deserving exception. The vase is 13 inches (33 cm) tall and in perfect condition. Nakamoto Chikuzan I (1911-2000) cultivated his roots at the Tobe Industrial School before embarking on a remarkable career of research, revival and development, an artist credited with almost single handedly saving Tobe-Yaki from extinction. He was awarded innumerable praise including by the Imperial Family. He was most known for sometsuke porcelain decorated with classical scenery, but also worked in impressed and carved forms, and overglaze enamels. He was granted the Kyoiku-cho award in 1990, and this piece commemorates that auspicious occasion (as noted inside the box lid). A mosaic by Chikuzan 3 by 10 meters (10 by 30 feet) decorates the Tobe City Municipal Office building.

Birds flit playfully in the rich foliage of a fiery maple on the front of this flattened ovoid vase by Nakamura Toshito enclosed in the original signed wooden box. The odd triangular opening is perfect for flower arrangement, offering place for larger branches to rest in the corners. The ovoid form appears to be hand formed, the clay raked and covered in white with hand-painted scenery in enamel over. The vase is roughly 8 inches (20 cm) tall and in perfect condition. Toshito was simultaneously accepted into both the 7th Traditional Kutani Exhibition and the 37th SoZo-Ten Creative Design Exhibition in 1984, and has consistently displayed with them since, prized the following year in the SoZo-Ten. That same year he also received the governor’s prize at the 40th Kutani Sangyo Design Concool, and in 1990 was awarded the Hokuka-Sho at the SoZo-Ten. HE stayed within the Kutani area until the mid 90s, concentrating on his teaching position at the Ishikawa prefectural Ceramic Research Facility and building a reputation through area exhibitions of great rapport. With that base firmly established he was accepted into the National Traditional Arts and Crafts Exhibition in 1997, and has consitently displayed with that prestigious show, while not neglecting the Traditional Kutani Exhibitions at which he has been often awarded. This piece is nearly contemporary, dating to within the last five years.

Lavish charring on two sides contrasts with sliding Hai-yu glaze opposite on this thick and bold vase by Masamune Kengo enclosed in the original signed wooden box. The vase is 16 by 13 inches (40 by 33 cm) across, 11 inches (28 cm) tall and in excellent condition. The artist has been largely exhibited and prized, including the Chunichi Kokusai Togei Ten, Nihon Dento Kogei Ten, Nihon Togei ten, Issui Kai Ten, and Okayama Ken Ten.

Gorgeous blue clouded mottle lies over oribes vibrant green crackled glaze on this thick slab of clay by world famous artist Kato Shuntei (b. 1927-1995) enclosed in the original signed wooden box. The upturned edges create a border where none exists allowing the dish to blend with other table elements and yet setting it apart as an individual work (asif the size alone were not enough!). The piece is literally supported on beaded drips of glassy green glaze. Roughly 14 by 15 inches (35 x 37 cm); it is in perfect condition. Shuntei succeeded his fathers name in 1961, becoming one of the Seto area leaders in ceramics along with his brother Shunto, and in fact represented Aichi prefecture at the Worlds Fair Osaka, and served as a judge for the Prefectural Art Committee for many years. He was presented at such prestigious events as the Nihon Kogei Ten (National Crafts Exhibition), Dento Kogei Ten (National Traditional Crafts Exhibition) and the Asahi Togei Ten (Asahi Ceramics exhibition) among many others.

Pale clay baked red with a dusting of natural ash glaze and small streaming rivulets complimenting the undulating ribbons billowing pell-mell from the top of this odd shaped sculptural vase by Kiyomizu Rokubei VII (1922-2006) enclosed in the original signed wooden box. The piece is 9 inches (23.5 cm) tall, 7-1/2 inches (19 cm) wide and in excellent condition. The Kiyomizu family potters managed one of the most productive workshops in Kyoto’s Gojozaka district from the second half of the Edo period. From the Meiji they began producing tableware for export and special pieces for government-sponsored exhibitions under Rokubei V. The workshop declined after World War II but was revived by Kiyomizu Rokubei VII, an adopted artist from Aichi prefecture. A graduate of the Tokyo University of Fine Art, he was a trained sculptor specializing in, in addition to clay, media like metal, glass, wood, paper and photography. Rokubei studied in Italy from the 1969-1970, and was a common contributor to the Nitten (under the name Hiroshi) Receiving the Hokuto-sho prize there and later serving on the selection committee. He is also well known for sculptures. He succeeded the family name in 1987 and also used the name Kyubei. Kiyomizu Rokubei VIII, is now head of the kiln. For more on this important artist see Contemporry Clay, Japanese Ceramics for the New Century by Joe Earle, ISBN O-87846-696-7.

A tall stem-footed Hagi flower vessel enclosed in the original wooden box by Yamato Yasuo. It was created in that postwar age when once again expression was finding a voice in Japan, and the early avant-garde potters such as Yamato Yasuo and Kumakura Junkichi were reaching beyond tradition as a means of verbalizing their interpretation of Japan in a new age. Here enigmatic shapes rise from the slightly striated Hagi clay, the entire covered in pale blue tinged glaze with outlines of iron and splashes of color on the queer images. The foot is bare earth, inscribed with the name Yasuo and the year 1958. The work is a fine representative of the period and its movements. It is large at almost a foot (29 cm) tall, roughly 8 inches (20 cm) diameter at the widest and is in excellent condition. Yamato Yasuo was born in 1933 to a long line of Hagi potters. He learned under his father Harunobu and grandfather Shoroku who would have been head of the kiln at the time of this pieces creation. He is one of Hagi’s most well respected artist, and his works are often displayed at the Nitten and other National Exhibitions. He has been named an important cultural asset of Yamaguchi Prefecture (ken Juyo Mukei Bunkazai). A rare opportunity to acquire an early work by one of the most important Hagi potters.

A sizeable seihakuji vase by celadon master Fukami Sueharu (b. 1947) enclosed in the original signed wooden box dating circa 1985. Graceful lines drape from 8 points evenly distributed about the rim, creating a sense of geometry on the simple orb. The vase is roughly 8-1/2 inches tall, 9-3/4 inches diameter and in excellent condition. The name of Kyotos Sueharu is synonymous with seihakuji celadon. He has been displayed numerous times at the prestigious Nitten, Nihon Togei Ten (National Japanese Ceramic Exhibition) and Nihon Gendai Kogei Ten (National Japanese Modern Crafts Exhibition) among others. He is held in the Yale University Museum among others. For more information on this artist a quick web-search, or a look at the article highlighting his life in the March 2005 edition of Orientations Magazine will be enlightening.

A heavily potted Ash-glaze vase by Seto potter Kato Shinya enclosed in the original signed wooden box. The geometric patterns collide and dance off each other, gray on white, a piece well representing the artistic endeavors of the era in which it was created. The vase is quite large, 13 inches tall, 8-1/4 inches diameter and in excellent condition. Shinya was born into the family of Seto potter Kato Sakusuke in 1940, and graduated the Tokyo University of Art sculpture division in 1964, following two years later with a Masters from the Tokyo Art University Ceramics Division. He later moved to study under both Living National Treasure Tamura Koichi and Fujimoto Yoshimichi. He has been displayed at the Nihon Dento Kogei Ten (National Japanese Traditional Crafts Exhibition) among others. This is a taller version of a design he submitted to that exhibition in 1989.

A fantastic Mimitsuki fresh water container with rolling, sculptural corners very much in the style of the highly sought Bizen master Kakurezaki Ruichi enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It is 7-1/2 inches (18.5 cm) tall, 9 inches (23 cm) wide and in excellent condition, dating circa 1998. It is likely that Ryuichi needs no introduction, one of the most well known of Bizen potters, he is interestingly originally not from Bizen but far off Nagasaki, which seems to have gifted him with the ability to see the clays potential beyond conventional form. He graduated the Osaka University of Fine Arts, then enjoyed a long apprenticeship under Bizen Living National Treasure Isezaki Jun before opening his own kiln in 1986. Combining traditional technique with modern architectural form, He was recipient of the Japan Ceramics Society Award, Grand Prize at the Fifth Contemporary Tea Ceremony Utensils Exhibition, Tanabe Museum and has a list of public and private exhibitions which go beyond this brief add, including a showing in New York this year. His works are held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum of London, National Ceramic Museum of France and the Tanabe Museum among others.

An unusual bit of Seto ware by important artist Kato Sho enclosed in the original signed wooden box. Enigmatic windows in the smooth black coating reveal icy-pale glaze and one streak of raw sandy earth baked red. The bowl is quite large, and very pleasing to hold, slightly tapered so as to concentrate the aroma rising from the freshly whipped tea. The piece is signed alongside the kodai Sho-saku. It is 4 inches (10 cm) tall, roughly 5 inches (13 cm) diameter and in perfect condition, dating circa 1970. Sho (1927-2001) was born into the house of a potter, and graduated the Tokyo University of Art before branching out on his own. He made his National Debut at the Nitten in 1961. He has been since displayed nationally and internationally in the United States, Mexico and New Zealand among others. He received the Nitten Hokuto Prize, and was honored as judge at that most prestigious event, the same at the Asahi Togei Ten (Awarded), Kofukai, and Nihon Shin Kogei Ten (National Japanese New Craft Exhibition). He was named an Intangible Cultural Property for Aichi prefecture (the state level version of Living National Treasure) in 2000, one year before his death.

A large color splashed charger by one of Kyotos more original artists Tsuboi Asuka enclosed in the original signed wooden box. The vessel has a narrow foot with steadily rising sides creating a light airy feel; sheet white clay covered in green glass interspersed with runs of opaque shadow. Perfect for a service of summer fruits, or as a shallow basin for an arrangement of summer flowers. It is just less than 16 inches (40 cm) diameter and in excellent condition. Asuka, originally of Osaka, learned under the careful tutelage of Tomimoto Kenkichi in Kyoto, the city she has called home for several decades. She is well known in the Japanese ceramic world for her unique sculpture.

A red earthen cylinder inlayed about the rim with dragonflies by JCS award winner Imai Masayuki enclosed in the original signed wooden box. The dragonflies (also called Katsumushi, or insect of victory) are inlayed into the red clay with white and buff clay, covered with resist, and a thin iron slip applied over the remainder of the vase. The slip color is so closely matched to the underlying brick-red clay one cannot see the difference. The vase is 9 inches (23 cm) tall, 4 inches (10 cm) diameter and in excellent condition. Imai was born in Osaka in 1930 and studied the plastic arts under Kusube Yaichi of Kyoto, the city he chose to make home. He has been a long standing and often exhibited member of the Nitten, receiving the Hokuto Award there. He also took the grand prize at the International Biennale of Contemporary Ceramics as well as the prestigious Japan Ceramic Society Award in 1965. He is mentor and teacher to a new generation of Japanese potters including Ichino Masahiko.

A sizable rectangular platter covered in pale mottled earth-toned glaze by Shigeya Iwabuchi (1925-1993) enclosed in the original signed wooden box. A simple slab of clay, 1 inch (2.2 cm) thick, curled up in the corners. The simplicity is refreshing, the disparate surface natural and cool to the eye. It measures 16 by 11-1/2 inches (40 x 30 cm) and is in perfect condition. Shigeya was born in 1925 in Kyoto. He graduated the Kyoto Ceramics division of the Kyoto Industrial Research School, and then moved to the ceramics department of the Kyoto University of Art, finally studying under Living National Treasures Kondo Yuzo and Tomimoto Kenkichi. He has been displayed at The Kyoto Municipal Museum of Modern Art, Asahi Togei Ten and consistently at the Nihon Dento Kogei Ten among others. This piece dates circa 1970.