Item Description This is a black Shino flower vase (hanaire) by the Japanese ceramic artist 鈴木五郎 Suzuki Goro (1941-), made for the tea ceremony and for display in a tokonoma alcove. A thick, dark iron glaze covers the body. White Shino glaze breaks through it in bold, irregular bands, giving a strong contrast of black and cream. The white areas show a fine network of crackle. The dark glaze has a textured, finely pitted surface with small pinholes, and its colour shifts between charcoal grey, brown and a purplish sheen depending on the light. The form is sturdy and hand-built, with an everted, softly irregular rim and a slightly swelling shoulder. Two small ear-shaped handles sit on the neck. The body carries impressed and sculpted surface details. The base is a thick, modelled foot with a glazed underside. Reddish-brown glaze and a few areas of glaze build-up are visible there, along with a small exposed patch of clay body. The interior is glazed, with white glaze near the mouth and dark glaze deeper inside. The vase is supplied with its signed wooden box. Artist Profile Suzuki Goro was born in 1941 in Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture, and began working in clay in 1957 at the age of 16. He works independently, unaffiliated with any formal organisation or school, and presents his work mainly through solo exhibitions. His inspiration comes from the Mino traditions of the Momoyama and Edo periods, including Shino, Oribe, Ki-Seto, Setoguro and Karatsu. He nevertheless keeps experimenting with colour and form. His awards include the Asahi Ceramic Arts Exhibition highest award (1966) and the encouragement award at the 3rd Chunichi International Ceramic Arts Exhibition (1971). He was invited as a Visiting Scholar to the Rhode Island School of Design in 1975 and to Cranbrook Academy of Art in 1982, and received the Japan Ceramic Society Prize in 2002. His Oribe Chair entered the collection of the American Museum of Ceramic Art (AMOCA) in 2021, and the Aichi Menard Art Museum held the solo retrospective "Suzuki Goro: Living and Playing in Clay" in 2015. Size Height: 24.5 cm Width: 13.5 cm (maximum width) Condition The vase is in excellent condition, with no chips, cracks or damage observed. The crackle in the white glaze, the pinholes and the kiln effects are part of the original firing and surface. Additional Information Maker: Suzuki Goro Type: Hanaire (flower vase for the tea ceremony), black Shino style in the Mino tradition Country of origin: Japan Accessories: Original signed wooden box (tomobako) with a braided cord. The lid is inscribed "Kuro Shino Hanaire" (黒志野 花入) and signed by the artist. 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.