Catalog: Artists: Ceramics: Porcelain (4)

A work of perfection by one of Japan’s most admired ceramic artists. This piece by Nakajima Hiroshi demonstrates his mastery of the art of celadon pottery.

Born in 1941 in Hiroshima prefecture, at the age of 28 he established his own kiln and became an independent potter. 1n 1977 he received honorable mention in the Japan Tradional Applied Fine Arts Exhibition...

A technique most commonly seen in Tenmoku tea bowls, “konoha” is accomplished by applying a coating to an actual leaf and then attaching the leaf to the surface of an artwork before firing. The exact details of this process seem somewhat murky as it appears to be a well-guarded secret among potters. After some research we were unable to identify the potter; and, although there is a signature on the bottom that appears to read “Raishō,” we could find no potter by this name...

Being based in Kyoto we occasionally come across fine Chinese and Korean tea-ware to mix in with our Japanese offerings. Here we have an example of a ceremonial tea bowl from the Shinragi kiln in Korea. Pieces like the one seen here are baked in a traditional wood-fired “climbing kiln” at a temperature of over 1,300 degrees for 5 days...

According to Kei Wakao, the artist who crafted this extraordinary work, it took him years of trial-and-error to perfect the unique rice-porcelain glaze covering this finely shaped vase. Not only was it a challenge to achieve the demure milky translucence of the glaze—similar to the appearance of a grain of rice when held to the light—but also to get the right flowing consistency and pooling effect in desired areas...