Item Description This is a spherical, round ceramic vase made by Kimura Yoshiro. The glaze characteristic of this artist's work is affectionately known among collectors as "Kimura Blue." The vessel is nearly perfectly spherical, with a small circular opening positioned slightly off-centre at the top, making it suitable both as a flower vase and as a standalone decorative object. The glaze displays a gradient unique to this artist, transitioning from a pale sky blue at the shoulder to a deep navy towards the base, with fine crackle (crazing) visible across the entire surface. A contrasting greenish glaze can be seen on the inside of the mouth and within the recessed foot ring, and a small impressed or painted mark is visible on the interior of the foot. No significant chips or cracks were found upon visual inspection. Please review the photographs carefully before considering your purchase. Artist Profile Kimura Yoshiro (born 1946) is a Japanese ceramicist. Deeply influenced by Zen philosophy and the spirit of the tea ceremony, he travelled widely during his university years. After graduating, he pursued ceramics in earnest and established his own kiln, "Taiso-gama," in Higashihiroshima in 1975. He is known for applying his independently developed glaze — called "heki-yu" (碧釉), a vivid, deep, and translucent blue glaze — to modern and minimal vessel forms, and this distinctive blue has become widely celebrated as "Kimura Blue." His awards include the Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition Encouragement Prize (1984), the Hiroshima Cultural Encouragement Award (1985), the Runner-up Grand Prix at the Ceramics Biennale (1989), the Hiroshima Cultural Award (1994), the Kaneshige Toyo Prize (2001), the Asahi Shimbun Prize at the 67th Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition (2020), and recognition as a Regional Cultural Contributor by the Agency for Cultural Affairs (2021). His works are held in collections including the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo. Dimensions Height: 13 cm Width: 14 cm Depth: 14 cm Weight 853 g Condition No significant chips or cracks were found upon visual inspection. Please note that some details may not be fully visible in the photographs. Additional Information Type: Ceramic round vase (flower vase / decorative object) Glaze: "Kimura Blue" (heki-yu), crackle glaze 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.