1 minute read
SHIMAOKA TATSUZO (1919-2007)
Haiku, Matsuo Basho
Based in Mashiko, Shimaoka Tatsuzo was also designated in 1996. His designation was for folk craft, particularly his rope-impressed inlay wares (mingei jomon zogan). Shimaoka was a highly skilled potter who mastered and combined a number of techniques. His father made braided silk cords for a living. This familial lineage, combined with his later exposure to rope-impressed Jomon period (c.6000 –300 BCE) earthen wares, enabled him to develop his signature style. His rope impressed surfaces were unique: he added the Korean mishima ware style inlay that he was introduced to by his teacher Hamada Shoji, as Korean ceramics were influential in the mingei movement during the 1920s to 30s.
Finally, his encounter with German salt glazed wares led him to develop a body of work using that technique as well. In this exhibition, the jar with slip glaze (hakeme) reflects Shimaoka’s interest in Korean modes of decoration, whereas the large platter has a cord-impressed, inlaid background with Hamada-style glaze loops to enliven it. They are both exceptional pieces from a great potter with a comprehensive folk craft legacy.
