Early 2000s Ceramics

A beautiful and highly coveted large finely glazed ceramic ash tray/ low bowl by famed Japanese Pop artist Yoshitomo Nara (奈良 美智, 1959- ) titled "Too Young To Die". The wonderful ima...

A large ceramic lidded vessel with striking sculptural form by contemporary Japanese potter Shigemasa Higashida (1955-). Hand-built and with drasti...

A large and powerful Chinese famille rose enameled porcelain "Five Dragon" meiping vase, modern, China. The oversized vase of traditional meiping form, with a splayed foot supporting a baluster shaped body with high shoulders, short, narrow neck, and rolled mouth rim. The large vase decorated with five dragons molded in relief. Their bodies painted in vibrant overglaze famille rose enamels of reds, greens, yellows and turquoise. The dragons portrayed dancing in the sky among flames and clouds. Their bodies twisting and writhing, claws extended, tails coiled, some with mouths open in triumphant roars. The main dragon in red, and portrayed to more directly face the viewer. The dragons dance against a white ground sky. The blank sky broken up by overglaze red painted stylized clouds and flames. The foot decorated with a band of crashing waves. A stylized lotus blossom surrounds the base of the neck. The neck with a band of scrolling flowers and vines against a yellow ground. The underside of the large vase with an apocryphal "Da Qing Qianlong Nian Zhi...

A contemporary studio ceramic vase made by Japanese potter Ken Matsuzaki (1950-). The vase showcases distinguished "moon flask" form with shoulder loops. The moon flask form was widely recorded first in Tang Dynasty China, most likely arrived from the Mideast countries via the silk road. It was originally used as drink vessel for the nomads and the loops were used to tie it to the horse-centered owner. The exotic form persisted in Chinese ceramic production through Ming to Qing dynasty. The form is unusual in Ken Matsuzaki's work. The artist covered the vase with a thick dripping Oribe green glaze partially revealing the unglazed part of the body, which is decorated with scrolling pattern in left by ash glaze. The work is rooted in both Yohen Shino glaze technique and Oribe tradition, but interestingly it also paid homage to Sancai pottery in Tang Dynasty when green glaze was prominently used to drip and splash onto the pottery. Viewing the vase, one can see in this harmonious piece, the innovative reinterpretation of ancient aesthetics that cross the cultures, geology and time. The base is marked with the artist's signature. The vase comes with an inscribed tomobako storage box with the artist's bio and wrapping cloth with seal. The vase measures 8.6"h x 7"w x 2"d. Ken Matsuzaki’s haptic ceramics bring a contemporary approach to traditional Japanese ceramicware, most notably 16th-century Oribe pottery...

A contemporary studio ceramic tea pot with metal handle made by Japanese potter Ken Matsuzaki (1950-). The stoneware tea pot showcases a thick dripping Oribe green glaze partially revealing the unglazed part of the body, which is decorated with scrolling pattern of ash glaze. The work is rooted in both Yohen Shino glaze technique and Oribe tradition, but interestingly it also paid homage to Sancai pottery...

A massive and magnificent ceramic Tsubo jar by Japanese potter Tsujimura Yui (1975-). Inspired by the techniques and aesthetics of the early medieval Sue ware, the artist hand builds an impressive voluminous oviform, irregular by intention, from a combination clay from both Shigaraki and Iga, coarse by nature and rich in feldspar. Fired on their sides horizontally, the surface of the thick wall tsubo is covered with streaks and drips of natural ash glazes in shades of green and blue, forming an abstract and mesmerizing pattern that resembles geothermal earth activity. Additional ashes are blown during the firing to accentuate the textures. Most recognizably, there are many circular marks scattered on the surface of his archaic looking vessels. That is resulted from using stacked tea bowls to prevent the conjoining of the vessels. After the firing, the stacked vessels are chipped away, leaving behind those circular impression, as well as deep pools of glaze which gather where they were placed. Born in 1975, Tsujimura Yui is the first son of the contemporary ceramic artist Tsujimura Shiro...

A large ceramic vessel in an impressive geometrical form by Japanese potter Mihara Ken (1958-) made in 2007. This multi-fired stoneware in shape of a mounta...

A contemporary Stoneware Bowl made in the tradition of Iga ware by Japanese ceramic artist Shiro Tsujimura (1947-). In a slightly irregular round form, the de...

Earth, Spirit, Fire: Korean Masterpieces of the Choson Dynasty (1392-1910) by Claire Roberts and Michael Brand. First edition softcover. Powerhouse Muse...

Josep Maria Jujol Casa de Familia Vase Josep Maria Jujol (1879/1949) is one of the greatest, yet least known, geniuses of Catalan architecture whose imagination and creativity are ...

A Japanese lidded ceramic jar from the kiln of Onda Yaki, circa 2007. The stoneware jar impresses the viewer with a robust bulbous form. and exuberantly splashed and dripped glaze in...

Artisan porcelain hand formed high quality fine porcelain. Wonderful shape with Indigo painting. Artist signed with poem. The porcelain is hand formed ...

A ceramic square plate with white-celadon glaze by Japanese potter Yoshikawa Masamichi (1946-). The sharp-edged plate features a concaved center an...

Artisan porcelain Vase Vessel hand formed of quality high fired fine porcelain. Wonderful shape with Indigo painting completely hand crafted. Artist-si...

A ceramic sculpture piece created in the tradition of Buncheong ware by contemporary Korean ceramicist Sung Jae Choi (South Korean, b. 1962). In a hollow rectangular with slight irregularity of being hand-made, the piece evokes the distant memory of the stoneware pillow...

A striking stoneware vase made in the tradition of Shigaraki ware by celebrated Japanese potter Kohyama Yasuhisa (1936-) in the year of 2005. Born in the town of Shigaraki, Yasuhisa ...

A richly glazed ceramic sculptural slab in the shape of a centerpiece plate by Japanese ceramic artist Yoshikawa Masamichi (1946-). The highly abst...

A stunning and dramatic contemporary tamba ware vessel with ash glaze by Kyoharu Ichino (b. 1957), circa 2007. A beautiful study in form and balance, this ...

A large and bespoken stoneware centerpiece platter in sculptural form by Japanese ceramic artist Ryuichi Kakurezaki (1950-) circa 2000s. Made in Bizen ware tradition in a thick slab ...

"Purple Dawn", a ceramic sculpture piece by Japanese potter Kiyoharu Ichino (1957-). Purchased from Touching Stone, Santa Fe, New Mexico in 2003. Tradition meets renovation, this sculptural piece with its slab like minimal shape draws the viewer into its mysterious shape that is reminiscent of a monument. Its surface, with the typical Tanba clay fired at very high temperature and completely free of glaze, radiates a subtle metallic sheen that is nearly in a shade of purple. This piece was purchased from Touching Stone, Santa Fe, New Mexico in 2003. Artist's bio from the gallery and the exhibition: "Kiyoharu Ichino was born in 1957 in Tachikui into an extended family steeped in pottery-making tradition. He learned all aspects of Tanba pottery since childhood. When he was twenty, he moved to Seto to study pottery under a master of Akatsu-yaki. Upon returning to Tachikui, he launched his career with the Tanba Group Kiln. In 1983, he established his own kiln and began showing in galleries all over Japan. His works have been selected repeatedly for the prestigious juried Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition sponsored by the Japan Crafts Association. In 1995, he was nominated to be a permanent member of The Japan Crafts Association, an honor bestowed to the most experienced and talented artists. Traditional Tanba pottery is fired unglazed at very high temperature in large wood-fueled kilns. Ichino uses both an anagama (hole kiln) and a noborigama (climbing kiln), burning almost a thousand bundles of wood over several days to bring out the unique personalities of Tanba clay, which is renowned for its rich texture and deep purplish brown colors. Many of his pieces show silvery fire-marks like swirling mists left by the wood fire. His pieces appear to be integral parts of the clay rather than separate objects made from it. To show the unique clay texture, he often includes seemingly unfinished edges in his designs, exposing the rough clay body. Despite the high level of sophistication and innovation, Ichino's works maintain a strong connection with the ancient Tanba pottery tradition. Ichino should be no stranger to many Santa Fe residents. His work has been exhibited both in Touching Stone Gallery and as part of a major exhibition in the New Mexico Museum of International Folk Art in 2006. About Tanba ware...

Japanese ceramic Suzuki Tomio (born in 1948) specializes in Shino ware. In 2003, he successfully developed Yohen-kin or transformed gold Shino, an opulent and golden glaze which led to a number of luster glazes in the artist’s growing body of work. Inspired by the golden tea ceremony room in Osaka Castle commissioned by Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1536-1598) where honored guests were served tea from a glittering bowl coated with pure gold, it took the artist nearly a decade of experimentation and refinement to achieve the glaze while strictly adhering to traditional shino making techniques. This set of five Yohen-kin plates displays a lustrous transformation. Signed on the bottom of plates. With original wrap cloth and the storage tomobako box entitled and signed by the artist in Kanji, with additional red seal. The size of the box is 5-1/8 x 8-1/4 x 8-1/4 inches. Many of Suzuki Tomio's shino pottery...