Item Description A striking square-form ceramic vessel (hobo) by 河井敏孝 Kawai Toshitaka (b. 1946), contemporary Japanese ceramicist and current director of the Kawai Kanjiro Memorial Museum in Kyoto. Toshitaka represents the third generation of the Kawai lineage descending from the legendary mingei potter Kawai Kanjiro (1890–1966), who co-founded the folk-art movement in the mid-1920s alongside philosopher Yanagi Soetsu and potter Hamada Shoji. Working from his Koha-sha studio in Shigaraki, Toshitaka continues this aesthetic heritage with a distinctly contemporary sensibility. This vessel exemplifies Kawai Toshitaka's command of the kakiochi (sgraffito) technique: bold floral and foliate motifs are incised through a rich black glaze to reveal the warm clay body beneath, creating a vivid interplay of matte earth tones, deep black, and amber-brown. Each of the four faces carries a different decorative panel — ranging from an expansive scrolling floral composition to a more restrained, symmetrical foliate emblem — giving the piece a dynamic quality that rewards viewing from every angle. The form itself is architecturally conceived: a square upper vessel, open at the top, rises from a broader square plinth-like base, the two volumes connected by a stepped, chamfered collar. The overall silhouette is bold and modern while remaining firmly rooted in the mingei spirit of honest, functional beauty. The interior is glazed in the same deep black, and the unglazed foot ring reveals the warm stoneware clay characteristic of Shigaraki ware. The artist's signature and a red seal appear on the wooden box lid, which is inscribed in the artist's own hand with the title "Kokuyuu Kakiochi-mon Hobo" (Black-Glazed Sgraffito Square Vessel). Size Height: 25.2 cm Width: 15.2 cm Depth: 13.3 cm Condition No chips, cracks, or repairs are present; the piece is in excellent condition throughout, consistent with careful storage. No significant wear or soiling is visible. Additional Information Artist: Kawai Toshitaka (b. 1946), third-generation heir to the Kawai Kanjiro mingei tradition; director, Kawai Kanjiro Memorial Museum, Kyoto; founder of Koha-sha kiln, Shigaraki (est. 1980). Technique: Kakiochi (sgraffito) through black glaze on stoneware. Origin: Japan (Shigaraki). Provenance: Accompanied by the original artist-signed tomobako (fitted paulownia wood box) inscribed and sealed by Kawai Toshitaka. Includes: Tomobako (artist's own wooden storage box). NOITICE: The lot will be carefully packaged and sent by Japan Post, DHL or FedEx depend on the situation. It takes about 3 weeks to receive normally. Import duties, taxes, and charges are not included in the item price or shipping cost. These charges are the buyer's responsibility. Sometimes Customes or delivery company in your country contact you for Customs clearance via phone or email. Please make sure that you could answer the phone. If you don't, the parcel will return to me and it cost more double shipping fee for reshipping. I appreciate your cooperation.