Massive Ceramic Jar Tsubo by Japanese Potter Yui Tsujimura

A Shigaraki stoneware jar by Japanese potter Shino Kanzaki (1942-2018). Kanzaki is a world renowned potter in Shigaraki who based his modern work on the ancient tradition of Shigaraki and Iga ware...

A large Japanese lidded ceramic jar from the kiln of Onda Yaki, circa 2010. The stoneware jar impresses the viewer with a robust bulbous form. Its black body is nearly unglazed but exuberantly splashed with strokes of slip glazes of white, yellow and blue. The visual effect is wonderful that it appears traditional and contemporary at the same time. The tri-color glaze calls to mind the San-Cai from Chinese Tang dynasty, yet the application is akin to abstract painting on canvas. Onda Yaki also spelled as Onta Yaki also spelled Onta, is a type of Japanese pottery produced in and around the village of Onta in Oita Prefecture in Kyushu Island. It was founded in 1705. Closely associated with Mingei folk art, Onda ware was inscribed by the national government in 1995 as an Intangible Cultural Property Background from Pucker Gallery where the jar was exibited and purchased. "In his search for true folk pottery, the Japanese philosopher Soetsu Yanagi...

Made by Japanese ceramic artist Makoto Yabe (1947-2005), this stoneware vase features a globular body supported by a round pedestal foot. A similarly shaped neck extends to a rimmed mouth opening. Robust in form with thick wall, the vase is noted for its irregular cloved form. The surface is covered in a beige-yellow glaze, on top of which, dark brown strokes and thick white feldspar slip were artistically applied in a splashed and washed pattern. Together with some random shallow incision lines, they form an abstract painting with textured surface where some slip forms small droplets at the end of the stroke. The work was created in traditional Japanese manner and reflects the beauty of Wabi Sabi, a Zen aesthetic for the imperfect perfection. The base was incised with the artist's cipher. "Makoto Yabe's work beautifully exemplifies the transmission of Japanese ceramics to the West. Born in Fukushima, Japan, Yabe began studying ceramics in Kyoto at the age of nine. He completed his training at the age of 24, with a four-year apprenticeship under Jinmatsu Uno and Sango Uno. Yabe then came to Boston, where he was an integral member of the local ceramic community, yet he maintained his Japanese roots. As an instructor of ceramics, Yabe worked in the Boston area at numerous schools and universities, touching the lives of all his students and expanding their knowledge and appreciation of studio ceramics." Biography sited from Pucker Gallery...

A glazed ceramic vessel by Japanese potter Ryoji Koie (1938-2020). Hand-built with intention to be seen as such, the tsubo has a primordial irregular form with a small opening and a swelled body resembling a beehive. The upper body was covered in a glassy green oribe glaze with fine crackles, highlighted with three incised geometrical symbols. The lower body is unglazed and exposed the white clay with marks of the hand-making pinches and kneading along the base. The base also shows highly irregular surface due to the seashell spur marks and clay pitting in the kiln during the firing process. All these occurrences honestly preserved and presented as part of the character of this wonderful modern piece. The jar comes with a plain wooden tomobako box. "One of Japan’s most versatile and forward-thinking contemporary artists, KOIE RYOJI...

A powerful example of a Japanese Tamba ware storage jar, dating to the late Edo period. Fired in a traditional wood kiln, the surface reveals a striking natural ash glaze that has me...

This piece was wood fired with multiple glazes and is made by Japanese NAtional Living Treasure Tatsuzo Shimaoka. The piece is stamped on the bottom. Tatsuzo Shimaoka lived and wor...

Bicone vase by U-Turn Ushiro. It is baked for several days in an anagama (a kiln that burns firewood). It is shaped vertically symmetrically. The copper contained in the clay blows out on the surface, and reddish-black spots can be seen partially. It is a work where you can see various reactions of various ingredients. U-Turn Ushiro While working at the fire station...

A beautifully aged Japanese storage jar. It embodies the quiet strength of traditional, practical pottery. Its form is distorted. Distorted jars are not usually found on the market,...