Catalog: Artists: Ceramics (817)

A Tenmoku Hanging vase by the living master of that genre, Kimura Morikazu, enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Tetsuyu Kohen Kake-hana-ike. The lozenge form features two lug handles in the shape of a traditional Waniguchi Japanese Shrine Gong. It is 7-1/2 x 6-1/2 x 2 inches (19 x 16.5 x 5.5 cm) nd in excellent condition, retaining the original shiori and wrapping cloth.
Kimura Morikazu was born to the house of a Kyo-yaki potter and studied under Ishiguro Munemaru, He established his first kiln in the Gojo Zaka area of Kyoto in 1947, moving to Fukui in 1976. He is held in the collection of both the Kyoto National Museum of Modern Art and the Imperial Household Agency. He has been displayed at innumerable private exhibitions in addition to major exhibitions such as the Nitten, Nihon Dento Kogeiten(National Traditional Crafts Exhibition) and Nihon Togei Ten (National Ceramics Exhibition) among others. Winner of the Japan Ceramics Society (JCS) award, purchased by the Ministry of Foreign affairs. Morikazu has been incredibly influential on the subsequent generation of potters.

A signature work in gold Shino by Suzuki Tomio enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Yohen Kin Shino Hachi (Shimmering Altered Gold Shino Bowl). It is 10-1/2 inches (27 cm) diameter, 5 inches (13 cm) tall and in excellent condition.
Suzuki Tomio was born in 1948 in Yawata, Kyoto, and has spent his life in the perfection of Shino glazing. He did not move for independence until establishing his own kiln at the age of 40. One of his most notable advances in Shino glazing is the development of Yohen-kin or transformed gold Shino. First introduced in 2003, this type of shino is an opulent, golden glaze and has come to serve as the predecessor for a number of lustrous glazes in the artist's growing body of shino work. In 2011, his work was acquired by the Philadelphia Museum of Art for display in their East Asian Art collection and in 2012 by the University of Durham's Oriental Museum in the United Kingdom. He holds regular exhibitions across Japan at major department store galleries, including Takashimaya, Hanshin, and Mitsukoshi.

The elegance of these works by Fukami has created a stir in the collecting world which has not abated over the last 25 years. Offered here a rare wing (or blade as some describe them) object by world renowned Fukami Sueharu dating circa 2006 enclosed in the original wooden box titled “Tenku”, signed and stamped by the artist. It is mounted on a wooden base, and comes with an artist designed metal stand (all fit in the box). The sculpture is 13 inches (33 cm) long and is in perfect condition.
Fukami 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. The list of museums holding his work is, in fact, much to long for this page, but includes the National Museums of Modern Art, Tokyo /Kyoto / and Osaka, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY, Brooklyn Museum, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Philadelphia St. Louis, Portland, Chicago, Minneapolis, Smithsonian, British Museum, Victoria & Albert Museum, Musée national de céramique, Sèvres, Musée des arts décoratifs, Paris, Hetjens Museum, Düsseldorf and the National Gallery of Australia among many others

A shell shaped swirling form by young female artist Takatsu Mio enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It is 6-1/2 inches (16.5cm)wide, roughly 7 inches (18cm) tall and in excellent condition.
Takatsu Mio (b. 1976) was raised in Gifu prefecture among the scattered kilns of Mino. She graduated the Osaka University of Arts Sculpture Department in 1999, moving on to advanced studies which she completed in 2001. Her first exhibited works were in 1999, and then again in Tokyo in 2001. The following year she exhibited with the 6th International Ceramics Exhibition in Mino with several private exhibitions over the following years in some of Japans top venues. In 2005 she made her overseas debut. In 2009 her work was featured in Women Ceramic Artists in the 21st Century (Paramita Museum/Mie Japan) 2011 saw her work accepted into the Faenza International Ceramics Exhibition in Italy, as well as the Nihon Togeiten National Ceramics Exhibition.

Wow! Is what comes to mind the first time you see this daring silver glazed organic Kake Hana-ire by Okumura Hiromi. The clay folds about onto itself, forming a seed-like pod, with an opening in the top and wings extending out both sides. A wire loop is affixed to the back for wall hanging. A signed and stamped wooden plackard by the artist accompanies the piece. It is 11 x 14 x 5 inches (28 x 36 x 13 cm) and is in fine condition.
Okumura was born in Kyoto in 1953, and was thus from an early age inducted into the avant-garde world of pottery being created at that time by the founders of Sodeisha and their influence. He graduated the Kyoto Municipal University of Art Ceramic division in 1978. Throughout the 80s a slew of public and private exhibitions led him to an appointment as professor of Ceramics at Kyoto Seika University. He received Grand Prize at the Kyoten in 1990, and has since received other awards there. His work was selected for the traveling exhibition showcasing young Japanese talent “Japanese Pottery: The Rising Generation from Traditional Japanese Kilns”. He has been exhibited frequently in America as well.

An exquisite lidded ginger jar wrapped with a writhing dragon by Ibata Katsue. The artist mark is placed in a raised cartouche, like an old wax seal, on the side, and the dragons seem to reach for it like it was the pearl of Buddhist wisdom. It is roughly 8 inches (19.5 cm) tall and in excellent condition. This piece is from a private collection of modern art and was purchased from the artist. There is no box.
Ibata Katsue was born in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, in 1958. She graduated the Nara College of Fine Arts in 1977, and apart from a brief period of teaching in Canada, she has always lived and worked Japan. She began working in Tokoname in 1985, then moved to Shizuoka in 1990. In 1991 she held a solo exhibition at the important Kuroda Toen Gallery in Shibuya, Tokyo (again in 2017) and was one of the demonstrators at the International Ceramics Festival in Aberystwyth. She ‘performed’ her pottery demonstration dressed in a cat suit and dancing to reggae music as if to negate any association with traditional Japanese pottery which has been so influential among British potters.

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.

A Yuteki Tenmoku chawan in sumtous colors, dark blues within, midnight drizzling to sunrise pinks and sunset oranges on the side by Kimura Moriyasu enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It is 4-1/2 inches (11.5 cm) diameter and in excellent condition.
Kimura Moriyasu (b. 1935) studied pottery initially at the Kyoto Ceramics Research Facility (which turned out such masters as Hamada Shoji and Kawai Kanjiro) and then under his brother Kimura Morikazu. He is well known for his use of crawling and oil spot glazes. He exhibits with the Gendai Nihon Togeiten and Nihon Dento Kogeiten among others. He has been awarded the Kyoto Prefectural Order of Cultural Merit (2004). Work by him is held in the Britush Museum, Boston Museum, Dallas Museum and Ise Shrine among others.

Scraped cut and beat out of form with looping ribbons of clay for handles, here is a mizusashi which certainly does not let down; everything we have come to expect from this popular Japanese artist enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It is heavily potted, creating a bold, lively experience. The piece is 8 inches (21 cm) tall, 7 inches (18 cm) diameter and in perfect condition.
This artist has been working with clay since the 1950s, devouring styles along the way. 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.

A squat form quintessentially Kishi Eiko enclosed in the original signed wooden box dated 1997. Purchased from the artist, it is 21 x 14 x 19.5 cm (8-1/4 x 5-1/2 x 7-3/4 inches) and is in excellent condition.
Kishi Eiko was born in Nara in 1948, and largely trained in the Ceramic Institute of Tekisui Museum. She was first exhibited in 1981 at the Women’s Association of Ceramic Art and was awarded that year. She took the grand prize at the 1985 Asahi Ceramic Art Exhibition, and from then her list of exhibitions both within Japan and out is extensive, with works in any number of important public and private collections including the V&A and Museum of Fine Arts Boston. For more on this artist see Soaring Voices (2007) or Touch Fire (2009) or New Forms, New Voices (2017)

Enigmatic designs in free flowing black and rigid lines impinge on the yellow square of this raised plate by Kim Hono. It is 24 x 25 x 4 cm (9-1/2 x 10-1/2 x 1-1/2 inches), signed underneath. This piece is from a private collection of modern art and was purchased from the artist. There is no box but one could be had for an additional fee.
Kim Hono was born in Seto City Aichi Prefecture in 1958, and graduated the Prefectural Ceramics School in 1977, then taking up apprenticeship at a local kiln before establishing himself as an independent artist in 1982. He held his first solo exhibition in Nagoya in 1985. He has been exhibited at the Nihon Togeiten National Ceramics Exhibition Dento Kogeiten National Traditiaonal Crafts Exhibition, Asahi Togeiten Exhibition, Chunichi Kokusai Togeiten, and his works being shown in some of Japans top galleries including Kuroda Toen in Tokyo’s Ginza ward. Not to be defined, even by himself, famously when asked by Hohnoho Magazine to define his work he cryptically replied only Kaze wo Kanjiru Koto (Feeling the wind).

A very rare early sculpture by Imaizumi Masato (now Living National Treasure Imaizumi Imaemon XIV) enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Shizen to no Kakawari Kata (In Relation to Nature) Plate III. Paper thin shards are embedded in the un-glazed disc of raw white Kaolin clay, a powerful expression indeed on our relationship with the natural world. It is 11 inches diameter and in excellent condition.
Imaizumi Masato succeeded as Imaemon XIV in 2002, heir to a century’s long tradition of working in porcelain. However he studied initially sculpture at Musashino Art University and trained with Suzuki Osamu of Sodeisha fame, and thus has a firm background in the avant garde. Since inheriting the family name he has concentrated on both traditional techniques of Iro-Nabeshima, while exploring new techniques using ink’s feature of repelling pigment and disappearing after firing. In 2009, he was granted the Medal with Purple Ribbon from the Emperor. In 2014, he received the ultimate distinction as the youngest artist in Japan ever to be designated a Living National Treasure.

A spectacular Shino Vase in deep murasaki and white by Tamaoki Yasuo enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Shino Henko. It is 14-3/4 inches (39 cm) tall, roughly 7-1/4 inches (18.5 cm) diameter and in excellent condition.
Tamaoki Yasuo was born in Tajimi in 1941, one of the homes of Mino ware. He began his path to professional ceramicist at the Tajimi Industrial High School, and a stint at the Gifu Ceramics Research institute, where he followed the footsteps of a number of modern ceramic artists such as Hamada Shoji and Kawai Kanjiro, who also began their careers in the same manner. He then apprenticed under Kato Kohei before establishing his own kiln. Since, his list of exhibitions and awards is too long to print, but include the Nihon Dento Kogei Ten (National Traditional Arts and Crafts Exhibition), Best of Show twice at the Tokai Dento Kogei Ten (Tokai Traditional Arts and Crafts Exhibition), as well as being prized at the Asahi Togei Ten (Asahi Ceramics Exhibition), and receiving the prestigious Japan Ceramics Society Award. In 1991 he was named an intangible cultural asset of Tajimi city

A spectacular large basin covered in fissured green with tinges of red by Living National Treasure Shimizu Uichi enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Seiji O-zara. It is 16-1/4 inches (42 cm) diameter, 4 inches (10 cm) tall and in excellent condition.
Due to size the cost of shipping will be accrued separately
Shimizu Uichi (1926-2004) was born in Kyoto the son of a ceramic dealer. Discarding the family business he apprenticed in plastic arts under Ishiguro Munemaro. His work retains some principal elements of his teacher’s style while incorporating an understated elegance and avant-garde spirit of challenge uncommon for his time. He was first exhibited at the Nitten in 1951, receiving numerous awards there since. He also took the gold medal at the Prague International Exhibition, and was at the Brussels World Exposition. He is in the collection of the Tokyo National Museum, Kyoto Museum of Modern art and the Freer Gallery among others. In 1985 he was named a Juyo Mukei Bunkazai (col. Living National Treasure) for his work in Tetsu-yu iron glaze. But this did not stop him continuing to research into uncommon ground, and he strove, like an artist as opposed to a craftsman, to constantly innovate and evolve to the day he died.

Bursting with life, this vessel by avant-garde Shinkai Kanzan was exhibited at the Nitten National Art Exhibition in 1982. Titled Kitsune to Minori no Monogatari, Kabin (Vase, The Tale of Fox and Fruition), the sly creature slinks through fruit laden vines in a path of dark through the light gray glaze covering the simple open form. It comes enclosed in the original signed wooden. It is quite large, measuring 30 cm (12 inches) diameter, roughly the same height and is in excellent condition.
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 after he 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.

Every shade between mustard and aubergine fades into the deepest blue on the sides of this ovoid form decorated with enigmatic relief-work by Shinkai Kanzan enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Nishiki-ka Kabin. It is 14-1/2 inches (37 cm) tall and in excellent condition.
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 father’s 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 after he 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.

An urban landscape split by a drooping plane by Kiyomizu Masahiro (Rokubei VIII). It is 19-1/2 x 11-1/2 x 11 inches (49.5 x 29 x 28 cm). Firing flaws in the corners of the towers accent the work, the degradation of from a characteristic of the artists work, often purposefully introduced to create tension. Although the first heads of the Kiyomizu family concentrated on traditional, popular objects and designs, Rokubei VII and VIII "took a radical turn" to produce abstract, geometric three-dimensional pieces which are either purely decorative, or combine function with distinctive, unexpected form. His works have been described as "futuristic-looking" and as having "a very Cubist sensibility.
This comes from the Kiyomizu Family estate, there is no box.
Kiyomizu Masahiro was born in Kyoto in 1954son of the sculptor and future 7th head of the Kiyomizu family Kyūbei (at that time known as Hiroshi). Masahiro graduated with a degree in Architecture from the prestigious Waseda University in 1979. Returning to Kyoto he would spend a year at the Kyoto Prefectural Ceramic Training Institute and another year at the Municipal Decorative Arts Institute in Kyoto before beginning at the family kiln where he would be handed the reins upon his father’s retirement in 2000. A technique he favors is joining together flat slabs of clay in extended forms, highlighting instead of hiding the process of their construction. He then makes cuts to weaken the structure, which results in distortions during firing. He has received numerous awards, including the Grand Prize at the Asahi Ceramics Exhibition in 1983 and 1986, Governors award at the Chunichi International Exhibition of Ceramic Arts (Chunichi Kokusai Togei ten), Kyoto Prefectural Culture Award in 1993 and 2009 and the JCS award in 2005. His work is held in the collections of the British Museum, National Art Museum of China, National Museum of Modern Art Tokyo, National Museum of Art in Osaka and Kyoto Municipal Museum of Art among others.

A rare late 1950s to '60s sculptural work by Kitade Fujio, an artist credited with bringing Kutani into the modern age, enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Hekimen Ni Seshite Okizaru Kaki (Vase left abandoned by the wall). The clay is quite pure, covered in blasts of black and beige. It is 9-1/4 x 5-1/2 x 11 inches (24 x 14 x 28 cm) and in excellent condition. Kitade Fujio was born in 1919 the first son of potter Kitade Tojiro. He graduated the Ceramics research facility in 1937, but coming of age during the war years was, of course, disruptive, and he did not complete his courses at the Kanazawa University of Art until 1950, the same year he was first accepted into the Nitten National Exhibition. In 1955 he received top prize at the Ishikawa prefectural Art Exhibition, and about this time would change his name from Fujio (two characters) to Fujio (three characters, as is the signature on this box). He would subsequently be accepted into and awarded at the National Modern Crafts Exhibition and Asahi Ceramics Exhibition; He would garner the Hokutosho prize at the Nitten in 1965 and would later serve as a judge there as well as at the Chunichi International Ceramics Exhibition, The Gendai Kogeiten Craft Exhibition and at the Asahi Ceramics exhibition. He was awarded consecutively at the 1st through 3rd Traditional Kutani Craft Exhibitions. In 1979 he would be granted a professorship at the Kanazawa University of Art. From that time he would divide his time between teaching and working with clay, garnering many more awards. In 1983 he would be commissioned by the Emperor to make a Tsubo, and the following year would be honored with the Kaga Cultural Award. 1990 he would become principal of the Art University. In 2010 he would receive special accolades from the Japan Ceramic Society for his life’s work. Work by him is held in the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa and the Kutani Art Museum among others.

A rare set of Sake Service Vessels (Tokkuri) by important artist Yagi Kazuo stamped near the base the white slip and engraved with butterflies and a poem. Emblazoned is the verse
URAURANI
TERERU HARUBINI HIBARI AGARI
KOKORO KANASHIMO
HITORISHI OMOEBA
The lark takes flight on a spring day
Inadvertently I am taken with sadness
Left thinking alone…

A quintessential Mashiko work by important artist Hamada Shoji enclosed in a wooden box annotated by his son Shinsaku. It is 11-1/2 inches (29 cm) square. 7 cm (2-1/2 inches) tall and in excellent condition.
Hamada Shoji was born in Tokyo, and enrolled in the Tokyo Technical University at the age of 19. In 1918 he met the important British potter Bernard Leach, and the history of ceramic arts was forever changed. One of the most influential and sought after of all Japanese Ceramic artists. There is no shortage of reading material for those who would like to learn more about this potter.

A Yuteki Tenmoku Koro with wooden lid surmounted by a stone finial by Kimura Moriyasu enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It is 5 inches (12.5 cm) diameter and in excellent condition.
Kimura Moriyasu (b. 1935) studied pottery initially at the Kyoto Ceramics Research Facility (which turned out such masters as Hamada Shoji and Kawai Kanjiro) and then under his brother Kimura Morikazu. He is well known for his use of crawling and oil spot glazes. He exhibits with the Gendai Nihon Togeiten and Nihon Dento Kogeiten among others. He has been awarded the Kyoto Prefectural Order of Cultural Merit (2004). Work by him is held in the Britush Museum, Boston Museum, Dallas Museum and Ise Shrine among others.

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 6 x 5 x 4 inches (15 x 13 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 spectacular work by Tsujimura Shiro enclosed in the original signed wooden box featuring a dark burn down one side, as if water has been pouring from the rim for centuries over the same place. The rough clay studded with inclusions and Shiseki is everything we have come to expect from this potter. The vase is 9 inches (23 cm) tall, 5 inches (12.5 cm) diameter and in excellent condition.
Tsujimura Shiro was born in Nara in 1947, and began his steps into the art world as an oil painter. While living at a Buddhist temple he experienced a profound connection with a Korean Tea Bowl, and began potting. He is highly acclaimed and somewhat reclusive, avoiding the public spectacles often needed to make one in Japan.

An elegant elongated form displaying in a rustic, manner the various affects of rough Iga clay by Tanimoto Kei enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Iga Hanaire. A dark shadow climbs up the side where the piece had been buried in a cloud of ash during the firing. Where it was not so protected, yellow green glaze accentuates the various textures benath. It is 21.3 cm tall, 9 cm diameter and in excellent condition.
Tanimoto Kei was born the son of Iga artist Tanimoto Kosei in 1948. In 1970 he apprenticed under Hineno Tatsuzo in Mino, and in his youth he experimented widely in many mediums, design, and even spent a few years in Paris learning the art of etching. He returned to Japn in 1977 to devote himself to the plastic arts.

A large tsubo in gold and white slip by Miyashita Hideko enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Haku-a Kaki Rin to Shite Yo. The title speaks of standing up alone, and the artist told me it was a piece she created when she came to terms with the grief of her husband passing away and had decided to make a fresh go of life. The form was influenced by ancient Chinese maternal sculptures, thus the forward, broad stance. An image of one of the sculptures can be seen on a ticket stub from the museum exhibition which will be included. This was exhibited in 2016 at the Kyoto Kogei Bijutsu Sakka Kyokai Ten (Kyoto Society of Artist and Craftsperson Exhibition) and published in the catalog for that event. It is 11 x 14 x 19 inches (28 x 35.5 x 48 cm) and is in perfect condition.
Miyashita Hideko was born in Tatsuno, Hyogo prefecture in 1944. She graduated the Kyoto Municipal University of Arts in 1967, her final project garnering the Tomimoto Prize, and that year she was accepted into the Kyoto Prefectural Art Exhibition as well as the Kyoten. In honorable Japanese fashion she put her career second to that of her husband, the famed Miyashita Zenji, but remained active in the ceramics world through crafts during her long marriage. In 1978 she was awarded at the WCC Craft Competition, and her subsequent list of awards and shows in impressive, with solo exhibitions at some of Japan’s top galleries and participation in the Asahi Modern Craft Exhibition, Asahi Togeiten Ceramics Exhibition and the National Ceramics Exhib9tion (Nihon Togeiten). After the passing of her husband in 2012 she has been reinvigorated to work, creating more large scale and sculptural works which are grabbing attention.

Exquisite colors pool and drip on this oil spot glazed vase by Living National Treasure Shimizu Uichi enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Kamahen Tenmoku-yu Kabin dating circa 1970. It is 22.3 cm (9 inches) tall, 16.5 cm (6-1/2 inches) diameter and is in excellent condition.
Shimizu Uichi (1926-2004) was born in Kyoto the son of a ceramic dealer. Discarding the family business he apprenticed in plastic arts under Ishiguro Munemaro. His work retains some principal elements of his teacher’s style while incorporating an understated elegance and avant-garde spirit of challenge uncommon for his time. He was first exhibited at the Nitten in 1951, receiving numerous awards there since. He also took the gold medal at the Prague International Exhibition, and was at the Brussels World Exposition. He is in the collection of the Tokyo National Museum, Kyoto Museum of Modern art and the Freer Gallery among others. In 1985 he was named a Juyo Mukei Bunkazai (col. Living National Treasure) for his work in Tetsu-yu iron glaze. But this did not stop him continuing to research into uncommon ground, and he strove, like an artist as opposed to a craftsman, to constantly innovate and evolve to the day he died.

A modernist form in white decorated with a simple zen circle by Yoshikawa Masamichi enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled simply Utsuwa (vessel) and dating circa 1985. The minimalist approach is a feature of this artists work, and accentuates the aesthetic Mono-no-aware (p an awareness of impermanence)and the circle on front seems to remind us “keep it simple”. It is 11 x 16 x 18 cm (4-1/4 x 6-1/2 x 7 inches) and in excellent condition.
Yoshikawa Masamichi was born in Kanagawa in 1946, and graduated the Japanese Design Academy in 1968. He first garnered attention in Japan being awarded at the 1971 Asahi Togeiten Ceramics Exhibition, and the following year received honorable mention at the 3rd International Biennale of Ceramic Art Vallorious France(Gold prize there in 2002). He has since received numerous prizes including Grand Prize at the Asahi Togeiten 1981, 1983 as well as the Aichi Prefectural Art and Cultur Award in 2005. Work is held in the Korea World Ceramic Center (Soul), American Craft Museum New York, Keramik Museum Germany, Brooklyn Musuem, Tokoname City Museum, V&A London among many others.

Balancing the scales and industrial shape by Sodeisha star Takano Moto-o enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled simply Utsuwa (Receptacle) and dating from the height of Sodeisha influence in the 1960s. It is 12 x 15 x 12 cm (5 x 6 x 5 inches) and in excellent condition.
Takano Moto-o was born into a Kyoto pottery family in 1934, and although trained as a potter of tea ceramics, moved into the world of sculpture, entering Sodeisha in 1966, and would exhibit with the avant garde association until 1983 as well as the National Ceramic Exhibition (Nihon Togeiten). He was selected for the “Contemporary Ceramic Art” exhibition which toured Canada, U.S.A., Mexico and Japan in 1972. Since his work has been exhibited in North and South America, Australia, New Zealand, and various countries in Europe. He focuses on sculptural pursuits, filling the time between with tableware.

There is no doubt about the superlative nature of the deep celadon glazes used by Living National Treasure Nakajima Hiroshi, and this vessel is no let down. A creamy blue crackling glaze covers this artful form which comes enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled simply Seiji Tsubo. It is 10-1/2 inches (26.5 cm) tall, 5-1/2 inches (14 cm) diameter and is in excellent condition.
Nakajima Hiroshi was born in Hiroshima in 1941. He became an independent potter in 1969 in Yano, Saga Prefecture, choosing to specialize in one of the most challenging fields of Celadon ware. That same year he was first accepted into the Nihon Dento Kogeiten National Traditional Crafts Exhibition, and in 1977 he would be awarded for the first time at that prestigious venue. In 1981 he was awarded the Prime Ministers prize in the Nishi Nihon Togeiten (West Japan Ceramic Exhibition). This was followed two years later by the most prestigious Japan Ceramics Society award in 1982 (He would be awarded their gold prize in 2006). In 1985 he would travel to China to study pottery and excavate at ancient kiln sites. He was named an intangible cultural asset of Saga prefecture in 1990. After many more he would finally be named a Living National Treasure (Mukei Bunkazai) in 2007, and received the 65th West Japan Order of Cultural Merit.

A deep black glazed bowl perfect for winter tea by Tsukigata Nahiko enclosed in a wooden box annotated by his student and titled Seto Guro Chawan. The subtleties difficult to discern, there are two distinct colors of black, with shiny, and one matte. It is 4-1/2 inches (11.5 cm) diameter, 3-3/4 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 easy road, for the first 15 years he worked for a ballet school, spent time as a recluse priest at Myoanji temple, and wandered the country playing the shakuhachi. It was a time of great change in Japan, starvation was rampant immediately after the war and supporting oneself through the little known art of Shino-yaki was difficult. However he persevered, along with Toyozo, Kato Juuemon, Kato Kohei and others, to bring Shino to the forefront of ceramic arts. Heavily prized domestically and abroad in his lifetime, his low output and unique quality make his work a must have for collectors. 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 tall squared vase inlayed with the silhouette of trees against the evening sky by Saeki Moriyoshi enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Zogan Jumoku Moyo Kabin and dated 1991. This artists fascination with trees against the sky is inspiring. He has chosen to imbue his works with memories of the perfect sunset, with an autumn morning or late afternoon in winter. This piece is quite large, 18 inches (45.5 cm) tall and in excellent condition.
Saeki Moriyoshi was born into the household of sculptor Saeki Rusuo in Utsunomiya city in 1949 and attended the Musashino University of Art Design department before moving into the Tokyo University of Fine Art: Crafts Division. He was first exhibited and awarded at the 1974 Ibaraki Prefectural Art Festival, and his graduation project would receive the Salon de Plantain award the next year. As well he would be accepted in the 15th Traditional Crafts New Works Exhibition (Dento Kogei Shinsaku Ten) in 1975 where he would be consistently exhibited. He followed that up the next year with works accepted into the International Ceramics Exhibition and the 23rd National Traditional Crafts Exhibition (Nihon Dento Kogeiten, where he would be repeatedly exhibited). He continued at the University to advanced studies, and the University purchased his final project in 1977. After a stint as a potter in a professional kiln, he established his own kiln in Ibaraki prefecture in 1981. In 1983 one of his works were selected for the Kyo no Nihon Togei (Today in Japanese Pottery) exhibition which travelled to the Smithsonian and the V&A in London. From 1987-2001 he would be a guest professor at his alma-mater, the Tokyo University of Fine Art. As well from 1987 he would exhibit nearly every time at the Nihon Togeiten National Ceramics Exhibition. In ’89 he would be granted the Cultural Award from Ibaraki Prefecture. He would receive many prizes at various exhibitions over the years including the aforementioned as well as the Issuikai Ten exhibition, Mashiko Ceramics Exhibition, and Shinsaku Togeiten (New Ceramic Artworks) exhibition, and in 2002 the Imperial Household Agency would acquire one of his works. His works are held in the Shiga Prefectureal Togei No Mori Museum, Sano City Yoshizawa Museum, and Worcester Art Museum among others.

Mottled clay in lively matt colors blends on this square bottle by Living National Treasure Matsui Kosei enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Fuhakuji Henko. It is 12 x 15 x 13 cm (4-3/4 x 6 x 5-1/4 inches) and in excellent condition.

A delightful small tea bowl by one of the greatest potters of the 20th century, Kamoda Shoji, enclosed in a wooden box signed by his wife. Brown glaze is draped quietly across the rough dark clay, the contrast between simplicity and texture a pleasure to hold. It is 4 inches (10 cm) Diameter, 2-1/2 inches (6.5 cm) tall and in excellent condition.
Kamoda Shoji is without a doubt one of the most important and influential ceramic artists of the 20th century. Born in Osaka in 1933, he studied initially at the Kyoto Municipal University of Art under to be Living National Treasure Tomimoto Kenkichi, graduating in 1955. While in school he was awarded at the Shinshokai Exhibition (where he would be often exhibited) and his graduating project was purchased by the University Museum. While working a stint at a commercial kiln, he was accepted into the Contemporary Japanese Ceramics Exhibition. In 1958 he took up residence at the Tsukamoto Ceramics Research Kiln in Mashiko, establishing his own kiln there in 1961. That same year he was accepted into the National Traditional Arts and Crafts Exhibition (Nihon Dento Kogeiten) where he would exhibit until 1967. In 1964 he boldly stepped onto the stage with pieces in the Modern Japanese Ceramics Exhibition held at the National Museum of Modern Art in Kyoto; International Contemporary Ceramics Exhibition held at Tokyo National Museum, and the New Generation of Ceramics Exhibition held at the Goto Museum. He would receive the JCS (Japan Ceramics Society) Award that year, one of the most important prizes for a Japanese potter. In 1966 his work was presented in New York at the First Japan Art Festival, granting him international acclaim to add to his growing domestic reputation and he would receive the JCS Gold Prize that year, cementing his reputation. Thereafter his work was much celebrated in the world of invitational exhibitions and he would receive many awards. In 1969 he moved his kiln, and would again relocate a decade later. He died suddenly at the age of 49 in 1983. His work would be the subject of a multitude of posthumous exhibitions, starting with the Tochigi Prefectural Museum on the third anniversary of his death, and the following year at the Tokyo National Museum of Modern Art. His work is held in the National Museums of Modern Art, both in Tokyo and Kyoto, Hiroshima Prefectural Museum of Art, Tochigi Prefectural Museum of Art, Iwate Museum of Art, Victoria & Albert Museum, Minneapolis Institute of Arts, and Beijing Palace Museum among many others. For more see: Japanese Ceramics Today: Masterworks from the Kikuchi Collection (1983), Japanese Studio Crafts by Rupert Faulkner (1995) or Into the Fold: Contemporary Japanese Ceramics from the Horvitz Collection (2015).

A striking black and orange striped vase in simplified ovoid form by Mukunoki Eizo enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Kokusai Tsubo. This was purchased at a Mitsukoshi Exhibition. It is 8 inches (20 cm) tall and in excellent condition.
Mukunoki Eizo Born in Shimane, and graduated the prefectural ceramics research facility before he apprenticed under Kawai Kanjiro in 1958. He would stay with Kanjiro until the masters death in 1966. To show respect and mourning for his sensei, Eizo quit potting for 1 year after this passing. He has since repeatedly exhibited at the Nihon Mingei Exhibition, Nihon Togeiten National Ceramics Exhibition, and the National Traditional Crafts Exhibition. In 1974 he established his kiln in Toyooka, Hyogo prefecture. He changed his name to Shunsui in 1996.

Five for silver… Six for gold… Seven for the secret….Suzuki Goro is counting crows surrounding the epitaph in the center of this Kuro-Shino Kataguchi bowl enclosed in the original signed wooden box. In the center we hear the words of Noguchi Ujo’s 1921 hit song “Karasu naze naku no? Karasu ha yama ni kawai nanatsu no ko ga aru kara yo…” (Why does the crow call? It calls for seven lovely children in the mountains…). As with everything there are many allusions in the lyrics, and much is either implied or left unsaid. ‘Seven children is a simple euphemism for many. The relaxed form is very much a product of this vivacious artist, whose lust for life is apparent in all he creates. The subject manner is yet quite unusual and striking for its audacity. The bowl is 13 inches (33 cm) diameter, 10 cm (4 inches) tall and in excellent condition.
Suzuki Goro has a list of shows and prizes too lengthy to go through, but the highlights are, Nitten National Art Exhibition, Nihon Shin Kogei Ten (New National Crafts Exhibition), Nihon Gendai Kogei Ten (National Modern Crafts Exhibition), Asahi Togei Ten-(First of Show and governors prize), as well as the Kofukai Ten among many others. He has a strong and devout following both domestic and international.

The playful form of this pottery work by the ever lively Yangaihara Mutsuo seems to be overfull with joy, weeping out from the bottom to form a puddle below. It is enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Kuro Oribe Choko and dated 1992. The vessel is 39 cm (16 inches) tall, 19 x 17 cm (7-1/2 x 7 inches) across the base and in excellent condition. This is a rare opportunity for one of the more greatly collected artists of recent years.
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.”