SOIL TO SPLENDOR THE ART OF WOOD-FIRED CERAMICS FROM JAPAN
DAI ICHI ARTS, LTD.
SOIL TO SPLENDOR THE ART OF WOOD-FIRED CERAMICS FROM JAPAN
DAI ICHI ARTS, LTD.
Dai Ichi Arts, Ltd. is a fine art gallery that is exclusively devoted to showcasing Modern ceramic works of art from Japan. Since our beginning in 1989, we have been focused on highlighting important Japanese ceramics to the contemporary art scene in New York City. The gallery has introduced pieces to the permanent collections of several major museums including The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Art Institute of Chicago, Minneapolis Institute of Art, Indianapolis Art Museum, The Princeton University Art Museum, and many more. We are committed to providing leading expertise to collectors, liaising with artists, and showcasing inspiring exhibitions and artworks. We welcome you to contact us for more details.
18 East 64th Street, Ste. 1F New York, NY, 10065, USA www.daiichiarts.com info@daiichiarts.com
REFLECTIONS ON TIME AND EARTH As we usher in the new year, the swift passage of time becomes increasingly palpable in our lives. Amidst the recent tremors of earthquakes in Japan and the echoes of war in various corners of the globe, the quest to find grounding in our rapidly evolving world is more urgent than ever. It is within the profound beauty of traditional pottery that we discover an anchor – a beacon of timelessness and a testament to life's simpler essence. In our gallery, we've uncovered a profound truth: reconnecting with traditional art and embracing the five elemental forces of life – water, fire, wood, earth, and air – offers us a haven. This sanctuary allows us to decelerate, breathe deeply, and cherish nature's offerings. Such introspection brings us to a vital realization: life, when distilled to its essence, revolves around these elemental forces, akin to the art of wood-fired pottery—Yakishime. Yakishime, the heart of our exhibition, is an ancient form of wood-fired technique that has maintained its enchantment across centuries in Japan, now resonating profoundly with our fast-paced contemporary life. The artists we showcase in this exhibition masterfully intertwine traditional wood-fired techniques with contemporary interpretations. Their creations transcend mere artistic evolution, moving from functional items to profound art forms. This tactile journey invites us, the audience, to reassess our daily engagement with the Earth.
This exhibition transcends the mere display of wood-fired pottery's exquisite beauty; it embodies a call to embrace a slower, more organic way of life. Our goal is to forge a connection between the venerable art of Yakishime and our contemporary audience, urging you to explore and appreciate this enduring craft. We hope these pieces will help you forge a deeper bond with the earth and reacquaint you with the fundamental elements that constitute our very existence. Join us on this voyage of discovery and admiration, where each piece narrates a tale of the earth, fire, and the human spirit. We extend our heartfelt thanks to Dr. Natsu Oyobe, the Asian art curator of the University of Michigan Art Museum, for her insightful essay on this subject. Our team at Dai Ichi Arts, including Kristie Lui for her organization and design interpretations, and Yoriko Kuzumi and Haruka Miyazaki for their masterful photography, have devoted their expertise and care to this project, contributing to its unique vision and execution.
BEATRICE CHANG
FROM EVERYDAY TO EXTRAORDINARY YAKISHIME IN JAPAN
DR. NATSU OYOBE CURATOR OF ASIAN ART THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN MUSEUM OF ART
What is Yakishime? It is not an overstatement to say that yakishime is one of the major forces in contemporary Japanese ceramics. Many artists in both historic yakishime centers like Shigaraki and Bizen, as well as other areas of Japan, choose yakishime as the focus of their artistic practice. Yakishime, which combines two Japanese verbs – to fire (yaki/yaku) and to harden (shime/shimeru) – refers to non-glazed ware fired for long periods at over 1,000 degrees Celsius in a wood-fueled kiln. While yakishime resembles terracotta and earthenware, the long, hightemperature firing process makes it impervious to water. Yakishime is appreciated for its accidental marks, spots, and the glazes naturally formed when wood ash attaches to and petrifies on the clay surface during firing. Depending on its location in the kiln, red, reddish-brown, and beige colors appear around the clay body. In some areas, ash glaze creates translucent blue and green colors, as well as matte ochre and black colors. Clays sourced in Shigaraki and Iga also have feldspar deposits and small stones, which, in intense heat, become white speckles and small bursts that further accentuate the roughness of the surface. Yakishime has been made widely throughout East Asia for nearly a millennium. Starting in the 12th century, pottery production centers in Japan on Honshū island, such as Tokoname, Seto, Echizen, Tanba, Shigaraki, and Bizen (commonly known as Rokkoyō or the “Six Ancient Kilns”), produced large quantities of jars and bowls for storing and germinating seeds and preparing food in farming communities (Figure 1). In the late 15th century, when production centers in China, Korea, and much of Japan moved to glazed wares, yakishime from Shigaraki and Bizen began to be used by practitioners of chanoyu (tea ceremony), who admired its rustic beauty. Ordinary, humble yakishime wares were elevated to objects of artistic merit. In a letter written around that time, chanoyu master Murata Jukō criticized a recent trend of novice tea practitioners using Bizen and Shigaraki yakishime for their “cold and withered appearance” (1). By the mid-16th century, water jars crafted in the Bizen and Shigaraki ware styles gained widespread popularity among tea practitioners (Figure 2). Sen’no Rikyū, an influential tea master renowned for serving military leaders and establishing the wabi ("rusticity and simplicity") chanoyu we recognize today, possessed several notable water jars. Among them were a
Figure 1. Shigaraki ware storage jar, Momoyama period (1573– 1615) to early Edo period (1615–1868), late 16th–early 17th century, H. 17 5/8 in, diam. 12 3/16 in. University of Michigan Museum of Art, Museum purchase made possible by the Margaret Watson Parker Art Collection Fund
Shigaraki ware jar named Shiba no iori ("a hut in the woods") and a Bizen ware jar named Yabure oke ("a broken bucket"), both of which are still extant. Around this time, Iga, an area close to Shigaraki, also started producing yakishime teawares. In the early 17th century, uniquely deformed and rugged Iga ware water jars and flower vases became highly sought-after by chanoyu practitioners from the elite military class. The abundance of excavated yakishime teawares from an ancient market street in Kyoto city attests to the widespread popularity of yakishime during this period.
Contemporary Rise of Yakishime Between the 1930s and 1950s, several movements set out to revive the yakishime teawares of the 15th and 16th centuries. In the 1930s, Bizen potter Kaneshige Tōyō rejected his family business of producing decorative sculptures and began researching these historic teawares. Later, in Shigaraki, Ueda Naokata IV and Takahashi Rakusai III similarly developed an interest in old yakishime, experimenting with materials and firing techniques using anagama (tunnel) wood-fired kilns. Because of their interest in reviving the teawares of the Momoyama period (1573–1615), these three potters came to be called “Momoyama revivalists.” Their inspiration stemmed from various events, including the excavation of many old kiln sites during the postwar construction boom, providing the potters with opportunities to rediscover lost techniques and stirring the curiosity of the general public.
Figure 2. Bizen ware freshwater jar (mizusashi) in seed jar shape, Momoyama period (1573–1615), late 16th century, H. 7 1/4 in, diam. 6 in. Metropolitan Museum of Art, Mary Livingston Griggs and Mary Griggs Burke Foundation Fund, 2023
As the Edo period unfolded, yakishime teawares gradually waned in popularity. By the mid-18th century, the majority of ceramics from former yakishime production centers like Shigaraki transitioned to glazed wares. In Bizen, yakishime production continued, but shifted towards decorative sculptures featuring animals, human figures, and Buddhist or folk deities that were mainly admired for their detailed expressions. So, what has led to the present-day resurgence of yakishime?
Simultaneously, the term "Six Ancient Kilns" was coined by ceramic historian and potter Koyama Fujio, who advocated for the organization and production of numerous exhibitions and books. American ceramic historian and curator Louise Cort, who later published a monograph on Shigaraki ware, expressed her profound inspiration from the Six Ancient Kilns boom in 1960s Japan. (2) As Japan recovered from the devastation of World War II and the population enjoyed increased leisure time and wealth, chanoyu and ikebana (flower arrangement) became more widely practiced throughout Japan, expanding the yakishime market. Additionally, the Japan Crafts Association (Nihon Kōgei kai) was established to safeguard and promote traditional arts and crafts, contributing to the dissemination of yakishime as a historically significant tradition. Bizen's Kaneshige Tōyō and Fujiwara Kei were bestowed the title of Intangible Cultural Property, more commonly known as "Living National Treasures." Finally, yakishime fascinated overseas ceramic artists, scholars, museum professionals, and collectors because of its unique rustic qualities and long history. Some of them came to Japan to research and study the techniques. Starting in the 1950s, artists like Toshiko Takaezu, Marie Woo, John and Susanne Stephenson, Daniel Rose, Paul Chaleff, Rob Barnard, and Peter Callas studied yakishime in Bizen, Shigaraki, Tanba, and other locations. They later became established artists, and some spread yakishime techniques and aesthetics in the United States.
Sugimoto Sadamitsu 杉本貞光 (b. 1935) Shigaraki Tea bowl, Basket 信楽茶碗 籠 With Signed Wood Box and accompanying letter by Daitokuji 大徳寺 Abbot Stoneware
Teawares and Ikebana Vases The forms and expressions of 21st-century yakishime are diverse, but a strong current continues to be functional vessels used in chanoyu and ikebana. In chanoyu, yakishime is referred to as tsuchimono (meaning "earthly things") and is an integral part of its canon. For instance, one teaware arrangement necessitates a water jar made of non-glazed yakishime (page 30), making it essential for any dedicated tea practitioner to possess at least one Shigaraki, Iga, or Bizen ware water jar. In the practice of ikebana, large yakishime jars (page 37) and vases are frequently employed to create dramatic arrangements with tall tree branches and grasses. Many yakishime artists specialize in this area of production, as there is a constant demand for these vessels. The Ueda Naokata family is one of the major lineages in Shigaraki ware, specializing in the production of tea wares. The fourth generation of Naokata was devoted to researching and reviving tea wares beloved by the proponents of wabi chanoyu during the Momoyama period. Ueda Naokata V, the fifth generation, spent extensive hours studying Momoyama period Shigaraki teawares in museums and antique shops during his training years. An ardent practitioner of tea himself, Naokata V crafted teabowls, water jars, tea caddies, and other vessels that are not only easy to use but also exhibit beautiful gradations of scarlet marks, subtle spreads of stones, and ochre-colored ash traces. His adopted son, Ueda Naokata VI (page 22), continued the tradition by creating teawares that strike a balance between usability and the distinctive features of Shigaraki ware. Another Shigaraki artist, Kohara Yasuhiro, also produces teawares and large jars, but unlike the Ueda Naokata family, Kohara pushes the distinctive Shigaraki yakishime features to their extremes. His Shigaraki Baskets (pages 56-61) are based on a handled tray for chakaiseki (meals for chanoyu). However, the thick body and rugged surface make these trays challenging to use; they are primarily designed for display, inviting appreciation of exaggerated features like the rough surface, blackened ashes, and pools of ash glaze with a translucent green color naturally formed during firing. In Bizen, many artists specialize in teawares and flower vases. Mori Tōgaku, one of the most active artists, fires his vessels in extremely long kilns of 170 and even 300 feet in his pursuit of reviving old Bizen wares. Fired in quantities of several hundred for more than 50 days, his vessels have fire marks of incredible warmth and depth (pages 23-25).
Figure 3. Kohara Yasuhiro 小原康裕 (b. 1954) Shigaraki Flower Vase 花入, 2020 With Signed Wood Box, Stoneware Dai Ichi Arts, Ltd.
Isezaki Jun 伊勢崎淳 (b. 1936) Living National Treasure Bizen Flower Vase 備前千年花生 With Signed Wood Box Stoneware (h) 9" x (w) 4" x (d) 4.1"
Sculpture Yakishime’s monochromatic and neutral appearance, resembling metal or wood, has proven to be an excellent medium for both formal and surface expressions. In the 1950s and 1960s, Yagi Kazuo, an influential member of the avant-garde ceramic group Sōdei-sha, utilized Shigaraki clay and yakishime techniques to create eerie sculptures that combined geometric shapes with worm-like details. There are also artists who create works that are based on vessel forms but closer to non-functional sculptures. The Bizen artist Yabe Shun’ichi creates sculptural works distinctive for elegant lines (figure 5, page 68-70). Shigaraki artist Koyama Yasuhisa also creates forms and surfaces that seem to be cut from rock. Koyama is inspired by his trips to various places, particularly the vast rocky terrain of the American Southwest. His fascination with evoking this landscape is evident in the uneven surface and rugged edges of his sculptural vessels (page 31). These artists are more interested in formal expressions than the natural ash glazing of Shigaraki artists working in teawares and vases. Capitalizing on clay’s plasticity, they use a variety of techniques including slab building and incising to achieve their sculptural forms.
Figure 4. Sasayama Tadayasu 笹山忠保 (b. 1939) Shigaraki "Bowl Form and Tea Bowl", 2013, Dai Ichi Arts, Ltd.
Sasayama Tadayasu, who is mostly known for ceramic sculptures and installation works using Shigaraki clay, is also interested in tea wares, however, his Bowl Form and Tea Bowl series cannot be used as tea bowls. Their closed mouth and round bottoms without feet are his conceptual take on functional vessels in the revered practice (figure 4, page 66-67).
Figure 5. Yabe Shunichi 矢部俊一 (b. 1968) Light and Wind 光風, 2015, With Signed Wood Box, Stoneware Dai Ichi Arts, Ltd.
International Appreciation of Contemporary Yakishime Among the diverse styles and techniques in contemporary Japanese ceramics, yakishime is considered uniquely Japanese, as it is still widely practiced only in Japan. The interest in and appreciation of contemporary yakishime have risen dramatically in the past thirty years in China, Taiwan, and the United States. Many yakishime artists from Shigaraki and Bizen are invited to workshops and exhibitions in China and Taiwan. In the United States, contemporary yakishime first appealed to ceramic artists who wanted to learn the techniques in the second half of the 20th century. More recently, museums and private collectors have increasingly begun to appreciate the earthy and rustic appearance of tea wares, as well as the creative, formal expressions of ceramic sculptures. Works by Kakurezaki Ryūichi, Isezaki Kōichirō (both from Bizen), Koyama Yasuhisa (Shigaraki), and Tsujimura Shirō (living in Nara, working in Shigaraki and Iga ware styles) are found in many major public and private collections. This exhibition introduces yakishime artists whose names are unfamiliar in the United States, including Sakata Jinnai, Shimizu Kei’ichi, and Konishi Tōzō, providing an excellent opportunity to explore the great breadth of expression in today’s yakishime. Figure 5. Sugimoto Sadamitsu 杉本貞光 (b. 1935) Shigaraki Flower Vase 信楽花入 With Signed Wood Box, Stoneware Dai Ichi Arts, Ltd.
Note 1: Oka, Yoshiko, “Shigaraki no chatō: Chajin no manazashi kara” in Shigaraki eno manazashi: Wabi sabi Shigaraki, Shigaraki Ceramic Cultural Park, 2015, p. 111. Note 2: Louise Cort, “Foreword,” Clay as Soft Power: Shigaraki Ware in Postwar America and Japan, University of Michigan Museum of Art, 2021, p. 4.
PRIMORDIAL ASH CERAMICS FROM THE SIX ANCIENT KILNS OF JAPAN
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Konishi Tōzō 小西陶蔵 (b. 1947) Bizen flower vase with undulating designs 備前波状文花入 With Signed Wood Box Stoneware (h) 9.5"x (w) 10"x (d) 5.8"
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Isezaki Mitsuru 伊勢崎満 (1934-2011) Bizen Triangle Flower Vase 備前三角花生 With Signed Wood Box Bizen stoneware (h) 9.2” x (diameter) 5.2”
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Isezaki Jun 伊勢崎淳 (b. 1936) Living National Treasure Bizen Flower Vase 備前千年花生 With Signed Wood Box Stoneware (h) 9" x (w) 4" x (d) 4.1"
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Fujiwara Yu 藤原雄 (1932-2001) Living National Treasure Bizen Jar With Ears 備前擂座線文壺 With Signed Wood Box Bizen stoneware (h) 8.5” x (diameter) 11.5”
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Ueda Naokata VI 6 代 上田直方 (光春) (b. 1957) Shigaraki flower vase 信楽花入 With Signed Wood Box Stoneware (h) 5.5" x (diameter) 9.1"
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Mori Tōgaku 森陶岳 (b. 1937) Jar 壺, c. 1992 With Signed Wood Box Stoneware (h) 10.9" x (diameter) 8.6"
Mori Tōgaku 森陶岳 (b. 1937) Square plate 角皿, 1974 With Signed Wood Box Stoneware (h) 1.6" x (w) 7.9" x (d) 7.6"
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Mori Tōgaku 森陶岳 (b. 1937) Bizen Flower Vase 備前花入, 1994 With Signed Wood Box, Stoneware (h) 13" x (w) 17.5" x (d) 5.5"
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Mori Tōgaku 森陶岳 (b. 1937) Bizen Jar 備前 壺, 1990's With Signed Wood Box Bizen Stoneware (h) 17" x (diameter) 9"
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Yokoyama Naoki 横山直樹 (b. 1970) Bizen Jar 備前窯変大壺 With Signed Wood Box Stoneware (h) 14” x (diameter) 14.7”
Tani Q 谷穹 (Tani Kyu) (b. 1977) TQ-5 Shigaraki Travel bowl 信楽 旅茶碗, 2021 With Signed Wood Box Stoneware H3.3” x Dia 3.6”
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Sawa Kiyotsugu 澤 清嗣 (b. 1948) Shigaraki Water Jar 信楽おにおけ水指 With Signed Wood Box Stoneware (h) 7" x (diameter) 8.2"
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Koyama Yasuhisa 神山易久 (b. 1936) "The Wind" Shigaraki Flower Vessel 信楽自然釉 With Signed Wood Box Stoneware (h) 14.5" x (w) 14" x (d) 4"
風の花入
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Tsujimura Shirō 辻村史朗 (b. 1947) Natural Glazed Flower Vessel 自然釉花器 With Signed Wood Box Stoneware (h) 16" x (w) 9.5" x (d) 8.5"
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Sugimoto Sadamitsu 杉本貞光 (b. 1935) Group of works: 1. Shigaraki Flower Vase 1 信楽花入 2. Shigaraki Guinomi, 信楽ぐい呑み 3. Shigaraki Flower Vase 2 信楽花入
Sugimoto Sadamitsu 杉本貞光 (b. 1935) Group of works: 1. Shigaraki Teabowl, Basket 信楽茶碗 籠 2. Shigaraki Water Jar 信楽水指
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Furutani Michio 古谷道生 (1946-2000) Shigaraki Jar 信楽広口壺 With Signed Wood Box Shigaraki Stoneware (h) 17" x (diameter) 14" x (lip diameter) 5.2"
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Kohara Yasuhiro 小原康裕 (b. 1954) Large Shigaraki Plate 信楽大皿 With Signed Wood Box Stoneware (h) 3.7" x (w) 16.5" x (d) 15.5"
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Kohara Yasuhiro 小原康裕 (b. 1954) Shigaraki Plate 信楽皿 With Signed Wood Box Stoneware (h) 3" x (w) 17" x (d) 16"
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Kohara Yasuhiro 小原康裕 (b. 1954) Jar, 壺, 2010 With Signed Wood Box Stoneware (h) 13.5” x (w) 14.5” x (d) 13.5”x (lip diameter) 7.5”
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Kohara Yasuhiro 小原康裕 (b. 1954) Shigaraki Jar C 壺, 2020 Stoneware With Signed Wood Box (h) 11” x (w) 9.4” x (d) 8.6”
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Kohara Yasuhiro 小原康裕 (b. 1954) Shigaraki Long Platter P 長方皿, 2020 Stoneware, With Signed Wood Box (h) 3.1” x (w) 29.5” x (d) 7”
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Kohara Yasuhiro 小原康裕 (b. 1954) 3 Tiered Shigaraki Box With Signed Wood Box Stoneware (h) 6.2” x (w) 9.4”
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Kohara Yasuhiro 小原康裕 (b. 1954) Shigaraki Flower Vase 花入, 2020 With Signed Wood Box Stoneware (h) 19.5” x (w) 3” x (d) 4”
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Kohara Yasuhiro 小原康裕 (b. 1954) Shigaraki Box G 陶箱, 2020 Stoneware, With Signed Wood Box (h) 5.5” x (w) 7.8” x (d) 8.2”
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Kohara Yasuhiro 小原康裕 (b. 1954) Shigaraki Basket with Handle 1 信楽手鉢, 2020 With Signed Wood Box Stoneware (h) 7” x (w) 15.3” x (d) 14.1”
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Kohara Yasuhiro 小原康裕 (b. 1954) Shigaraki Basket with Handle 2 信楽手鉢, 2020 With Signed Wood Box Stoneware (h) 11” x (w) 9.4” x (d) 8.6”
CONTEMPORARY ASH MODERN FORMULATIONS OF WOOD-FIRED CERAMICS
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Sakamoto Motoyuki 坂本素行 (b. 1950) Ash Glazed Box 灰釉筥 With Signed Wood Box Stoneware (h) 2.9" x (w) 10.7" x (d) 10.5"
Sasayama Tadayasu 笹山忠保 (b. 1936) Shigaraki "Bowl Form and Tea Bowl", 2013 Stoneware Exhibited and Published (h) 5" x (w) 5" x (d) 5"
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Yabe Shun’ichi 矢部俊一 (b. 1968) Light and Wind 光風, 2015 With Signed Wood Box Bizen Stoneware (h) 8.5" x (w) 26" x (d) 13.5"
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Shimizu Kei’ichi 清水圭一 (b. 1962) Vase, 花の器 Signed Kei 圭 at Base, With Signed Wood Box Stoneware (h) 18.25" x (w) 8.2" x (d) 6.7"
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Shimizu Kei’ichi 清水圭一 (b. 1962) Tanba Flower Vessel 丹波花器, 2021 With Signed Wood Box Stoneware (h) 22.6" x (w) 13.7" x (d) 8.6"
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Sakata Jinnai 坂田甚内 (b. 1943) Engraved Yakishime Jar with Wide Mouth With Signed Wood Box Stoneware (h) 9.6" x (diameter) 13.2"
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Sakata Jinnai 坂田甚内 (b. 1943) Jar, Smoked & Incised Decorated Wave Patterns 黒陶波状文壺 With Signed Wood Box Stoneware (h) 10.8” x (diameter) 12.5”
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© Dai Ichi Arts, Ltd., 2024 Authorship: Beatrice Chang, Natsu Oyobe, eds. Kristie Lui Catalog production: Kristie Lui, Haruka Miyazaki, Yoriko Kuzumi
COMING SOON IN MARCH 2024
CERAMIC FRONTIERS: SODEISHA & SHIKOKAI IN POST-WAR JAPANESE ART
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