Intangible Heritage: The Art of Japan’s Living National Treasures
18 east 64th Street, Suite 1F, New York, NY 10065
Dai Ichi Arts is a New York based fine art gallery dedicated to modern & contemporary Japanese ceramics. This year, the gallery is presenting a group exhibition of exceptional works by Japan’s Living National Treasures. In 1954, Japan began a program of recognizing artists of highest achievement with the Living National Treasure award. The program embraced the fields of ceramics, paper, metalsmithing, textiles, lacquer ware and basketry. The exhibition, “Intangible Heritage: The Art of Japan’s Living National Treasures” showcases the art of master craftsmen who have been awarded this prestigious title, and who have worked exclusively in the ceramic medium.
b.1927-2003
Jar, Neriage, Cleft Marbled 練上嘯裂壺 (Shoretsu), 1985
(h) 7.5” x (Diameter) 8”
Marbleized Stoneware
With Signed Wood Box
Matsui Kosei (1927-2003) stands alone among Japanese ceramists in his absolute mastery of the marbling or neriage technique for which he was designated in 1993. The three vases in the exhibition show progressively finer clay mixtures but other vases by him take this to almost a minute difference between the layers. Similarly, some of his pots have a coarse surface, reflecting the different clays in the mixtures, whereas others have a smooth surface that creates an intriguing multi-dimensional optical effect as the colors of the clay advance or recede. Whatever style he chooses the end result was always a visually challenging and simultaneously intriguing pot.
Matsui has honed the Neriage style to its zenith. “Neriage”, or agateware is known for its swirling colorful clays that layer over each other. It originated in Tang China (7th-10th century) and was imported to Japan during the period of technological exchange as a result of medieval maritime trade. The neriage technique requires extreme precision in combining sheets of different types of clay to create the desired decorative effect in a single coherent piece. Each type of clay has its own unique properties of color, form, and texture, and only an experienced artist may bring them together in a unified style. His pleasure in the technique led to constant innovation as he continually traveled to collect new ideas for his work.
1926-2004
Jar with Finger Scraped Patterns on Iron Glaze 鉄燿扁壺 ,1988
(h) 10.5" x (w) 7.5" x (d) 7"
Stoneware with Iron Glaze
With Signed Wood Box
Shimizu Uichi was designated for his contributions using iron-containing glazes (tetsu-yu). His predecessor for this title was the great Ishiguro Munemaro (1893-1968), one of the original Living National Treasures designated in the 1955 group. Iron containing glazes suggests black or brown colouration but Shimizu Uichi created orange, white and celadon shades as well. As with the glazes used by Shoji Hamada iron containing glazes date back to Northern Song Dynasty wares but in Shimizu’s hands they were modernized and used in graceful forms to create a different way of using these glazes. The three vases in this exhibition are late works but demonstrate the power, confidence and skill of a master potter. His manipulation of the glaze disrupts its normal role and makes it the statement of the piece. Here technique is taken for granted and the expression of an idea is the prime objective.
Alongside Hayashi Yasuo, Shimizu Uichi was a part of the avant-garde ceramicist group “Shikokai 四耕社” in the Kyoto scene during the post-war period in the 1950s and 60s. The movement permitted potters to re-conceptualize pottery outside of industry traditions of Japanese ceramics, which had been dominated by the idea that lineage- rather, potters who were children of pottery masters- granted credibility to ceramicists. Shimizu’s frank boldness rippled through the ceramics world in Japan and created fresh aesthetic values, tenets, and precedents for what permitted a ceramic art object.
1932- 2001
Yohen Bizen Flower Vase in Tokkuri Shape 備前徳利形窯変花器
(h) 10.2” x (w) 8” x (d) 7”
Bizen Stoneware
With Signed Wood Box
The famous Fujiwara family boasts two Living National Treasures in pottery. The first designation was Fujiwara Kei (1899-1983), Yu’s father, in 1970. Fujiwara Yu followed in his father’s footsteps by being designated in 1996 for his contributions to the development of Bizen ware. As is obvious from the pieces in the exhibition he was master of firing effects: the botamochi window on the tokkuri-shaped flower vase and the goma effects of the ash on the necks and bodies of the other two pieces. These effects characterized Bizen ware from the 16th century onwards and are part of a small repertoire of firing effects that the iron-containing, unglazed Bizen clay was capable of. To achieve these effects, given the long firing that Bizen ware requires, is indicative of both the skill and experience of the potter.
Fujiwara Yu’s work showcases finely textured surfaces characteristic of Bizen clay. His textures are a result of skillful employment of “goma '', or natural ash glaze. Meanwhile, the clay also boasts the Fujiwara family’s signature purple hue. The gradations from a dark coffee brown to purple under the light creates a distinctive opalescent quality in Fujiwara’s Bizen firing. The gentle subtleties in the Fujiwara clay exemplifies the canon of traditional Bizen decorative techniques.
1932- 2001
Large Bizen Jar with Ears 備前擂座線文壺
(h) 8.5” x (Diameter) 11.5”
Bizen Stoneware
With Signed Wood Box
The famous Fujiwara family boasts two Living National Treasures in pottery. The first designation was Fujiwara Kei (1899-1983), Yu’s father, in 1970. Fujiwara Yu followed in his father’s footsteps by being designated in 1996 for his contributions to the development of Bizen ware. As is obvious from the pieces in the exhibition he was master of firing effects: the botamochi window on the tokkuri-shaped flower vase and the goma effects of the ash on the necks and bodies of the other two pieces. These effects characterized Bizen ware from the 16th century onwards and are part of a small repertoire of firing effects that the iron-containing, unglazed Bizen clay was capable of. To achieve these effects, given the long firing that Bizen ware requires, is indicative of both the skill and experience of the potter.
Fujiwara Yu’s work showcases finely textured surfaces characteristic of Bizen clay. His textures are a result of skillful employment of “goma '', or natural ash glaze. Meanwhile, the clay also boasts the Fujiwara family’s signature purple hue. The gradations from a dark coffee brown to purple under the light creates a distinctive opalescent quality in Fujiwara’s Bizen firing. The gentle subtleties in the Fujiwara clay exemplifies the canon of traditional Bizen decorative techniques.
b. 1936
Bizen Jar with Burnt Rice Straw Trial 備前壺
(h) 12.3" x (Diameter) 8.5"x (Lip diameter) 2.4"
Bizen Stoneware
With Signed Wood Box
Bizen has had a total of five Living National Treasures over the years and the most recent has been Isezaki Jun, who was designated in 2004. The Bizen jar of his in this show is decorated with another of the repertoire of four techniques used to decorate Bizen ware. This time it is the Hidasuki firing technique that is created when rice-straw cords soaked in seawater are wrapped around the pot, which is then fired. The cords burn away but the salt in the seawater reacts with the iron in the clay to create red stripes. This technique has been used since the 16th century. Again, we see that a modern twist is granted to a centuries old technique by hands of a skilled contemporary potter.
Isezaki is also known for having revived the Anagama (single chamber firing) in 1961. The anagama is a type of single-chamber tunnel-like kiln that is dug into a hillside. It’s a firing method that suits natural wood-ash firing, from which successful results are a result of both careful design and fortuitous chance. His works reflect this duality in his planned patterning which frequently takes on a modern, geometric quality, as well as the subtle surface qualities of traditional Bizen clay.
b. 1929
White Porcelain Jar with Faceted Impression 白磁面取壺
(h) 9.2” x (Diameter) 10” x (Lip diameter) 2.8”
Porcelain
With Signed Wood Box
Inoue Manji, like Imaizumi Imaemon XIII, hails from Kyushu but he represents the Arita tradition. Designated a Living National Treasure in 1995 for his work in white porcelain (hakuji) his work emphasises form, and when decorated it is through subtle underglaze engraving or quietly playing with the forms through simple fluting.
Hakuji porcelain reveals all and hides nothing! This characteristic is well matched for Inoue’s perfectionist attitude when it comes to his ceramics. The flawless surfaces of his white porcelain leaves little room for error. Any blemish, flaw, or imperfection is glaring. These principles echo Chinese Song dynasty porcelain and Longquan celadon type wares, where flawlessness in form and surface were sought after. Some of his work references early Chinese porcelains but the two vases in this exhibition are straightforward pieces of white porcelain that rely on their gracious forms for their impact.
Inoue’s forms are single-minded pursuit of perfection in form and finish. They sometimes feature “hidden” patterns of flora and fauna in the celadon surface. This elusive decoration can be achieved only through celadon and other translucent glazes. The vessel’s beholder becomes lost in the pure white celadon glaze, while a delicately carved complex pattern gradually reveals itself within a landscape of flawless splendor.
b. 1932
Vase with Yurikinasai Decoration (Gold Leaf) 釉裏金彩芙蓉文
(h) 8.4” x (Diameter) 4” x (Lip diameter)1.2”
Porcelain
With Signed Wood Box
The colorful work of Yoshita Minori belies its Kutani origin. As the third generation head of the Kinzan Kiln, Yoshita Minori now bears the torch of carrying on the Yuri-kinsai technique. This glaze type translates to “gold colors beneath” and was developed in the mid 1960s. Yoshita was designated in 2001 for this under-glaze gold decoration. Using gold foil, the decoration is shaped and applied to his vessels. These are then glazed and fired, locking the gold in position. The decoration is rich but its restrained use against subtle background colors creates ceramics of quiet elegance and originality.
Unlike typical brushed-on gold leaf decoration, the Yuri-kinsai technique provides a slight relief on the clay surface, creating a subtle drop-shadow glow against the polychrome background. Gold leaf is an extremely fragile material, even more so when adhered to the surface of an unglazed vessel. It requires an extraordinarily steady hand followed by very precise heat control during the firing process to get the desired outcome with Yuri-kinsai. Yoshita developed his own technique to enhance the ephemeral and lightweight look of the gold leaf. He applies it using alternating layers of thick and thin gold leaf prior to firing. The thin layers melt slightly into the glaze during firing, creating a transparent effect while the thick layer remains opaque.
1894 - 1978
Hexagonal Vase with Persimmon Glaze and Red and Green Enamel 柿釉赤絵花生, 1960s
(h) 7.7” x (Diameter) 3.5”
Stoneware
With Signed Wood Box
Hamada Shoji was also in this initial group of four ceramicists designated in 1955, in his case for the preservation of mingei ceramics. Hamada needs little introduction as he, and Kawai Kanjiro, became the prime exponents of the mingei tradition that has been both popular and influential inside and outside Japan. Indeed, it is hard to look at post-1945 ceramics without seeing the influence they exerted. Nonetheless Hamada’s work remains significant and he is the true master of form and decoration. The myriad copies of his forms not only attest to his influence but also emphasize just what a master of proportion he was for there is a balance in his work and a harmony of form and decoration that sets it apart. The abstract decoration of black and brown glazes on the Jar in the exhibition exemplifies this. There is no doubt that it is his work from the 1940s but the colouration harks back to Northern Song-Jin Dynasty wares and reflects the depth of ceramic culture that Hamada drew upon.
Today, Hamada Shoji is recognized as one of the most important figures in the history of Japanese ceramics. His work is widely admired for its beauty, simplicity, and respect for traditional forms. For his contribution to the international pottery scene, he was awarded the title of a Living National Treasure. Hamada’s legacy continues to inspire potters and craftsmen around the world.
1919-2007>
Jar with Hakeme Ash Glaze 地釉刷毛目扁壺
(h) 9.5" x (w) 8.5" x (d) 6.5"
Stoneware
With Signed Wood Box
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. Shimaoka is an exceptional potter with a comprehensive folk craft legacy.
1910-2012
Square Water Jar With White Hagi Ash Glaze 白萩四方水指, 2000s
(h) 6.7" x (w) 7" x (d) 6.6", Lid: (h) 1.2" x (Diameter) 3.9"
With Signed Wood Box; Glazed Stoneware
Miwa Kyusetsu XI followed his older brother in becoming the Living National Treasure for the preservation of Hagi ware and was designated in 1983. Hagi ware is a high fired stoneware and is usually glazed with either a transparent glaze or a snow-white glaze that is made by adding rice straw ash to the clear glaze.
The origins of Hagi ware can be traced back to the late 16th century. The feudal lord of the Hagi region Terumoto Mori had appointed potters to create Hagi pottery for his personal tea ceremonies. Gradually, the taste for Hagi-yaki became more and more widespread, until the Meiji restoration in 1868, when it grew in popularity because potters could become independently employed. There are several types of Hagi ware, but the most famous is the white Hagi type developed by the Miwa. The Miwa family’s kiln was established in 1663, and has been operating ever since.
The Miwa family have been making tea ceramics since 1666, and it is beyond doubt that they have created the reputation of Hagi ware as the number two tea ceramic (after raku ware from Kyoto). Miwa Kyusetsu XI is the master of Hagi’s famous white glaze and the Mizusashi (water jar) in this exhibition is a superb example of his contribution to the family’s reputation as well as being an example of the long tradition of Hagi tea ceramics.The sensuality of the glaze invites both touch and taste.
1902-1985
Blue and White Jar with Plum Drawing 梅染付壺
(h) 9.5” x (Diameter)9.8”
Porcelain
With Signed Wood Box and Lacquer Box
Kondo Yuzo was designated a Living National Treasure in 1977 for his work in underglaze cobalt blue (sometsuke). Following his graduation from the Kyoto School of Arts, he worked as an assistant for Tomimoto Kenkichi between 1921 to 1924, while employed on the recommendation of Shoji Hamada. For many years he was considered one of the most skillful potters in Kyoto. As the story goes, Tomimoto eventually took him in hand and told him that unless he could draw, he would never be a great potter. Kondo responded by enrolling in courses specially teaching drawing and haltingly started applying these skills to his pots. The outcome of all his effort was a superb body of work where his dynamic, large scale decoration based on a set number of themes, reinvigorated the notion of just what blue and white decoration could achieve. His skills as a potter still emerge in his work with high-shouldered vases. These forms are instantly recognisable as Kondo’s forms and are as much his hallmark as is their decoration.
Kondo’s themes – pomegranates, mountain ranges, pine, plum, bamboo and thistles reoccur in his work and have maintained their vivacity across time and in use on alternate forms. The pieces in this exhibition show the use of his motifs such as the thistle on both a cup and a vase, nicely proportioned to relation to the form they decorate. Landscape appears on the later box whose background has been gilt, perhaps a homage to later work by Tomimoto or simply Kondo’s response to the Imperial taste of old Kyoto. Again, they represent a highly original body of work and they have no equal.
1933-2009
Plate with Polychrome Enamel Overglaze 燿彩大皿「輪華」,1990’s
(h) 1.8” x (Diameter) 15.4”
Porcelain with polychrome enamel overglaze
With Signed Wood Box
Tokuda Yasokichi III harked from the Kutani area around Kanazawa, and was designated in 1997 for his production of colorful porcelain (saiyu jiki). Peerless among Japanese ceramicists, Tokuda Yasokichi III uses pigmented glazes on simple forms to create the deep color of his show-stopping pieces. Passed directly from grandfather to grandson, these glazes were developed by Tokuda Yasokichi I and given with the advice that they would provide for his grandson’s future. Tokuda Yasokichi III has certainly made the best of his family’s techniques through both his own work and that of his studio. His work continues the tradition of colorful decoration that characterizes Kutani ware but in a uniquely contemporary way.
The Kutani canon is famous for its polychrome enamels and glazes. Tokuda’s technique allowed him to control the suffusion of Kutani color glazes to a very high degree, creating precise color compositions that blended one color seamlessly to the next. His saiyu jiki rendered an effect that blurred the lines between design, high art, and craft. Today, his daughter, Tokuda Yasokichi IV continues on the legacy of Kutani ware in Japan with her own unique take on the porcelain type.
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