Vase - Ceramic - Japan - Tamakara - highest-level

Item Description
This is a rare and exceptional ceramic vase by Nikaido Akihiro 二階堂明弘 (b. 1977, Sapporo), one of the most internationally celebrated Japanese ceramic artists working today.

The work belongs to his highest-level series, Tamakara (玉殻) — a title combining tama (玉, a perfect jewel or sphere) and kara (殻, a shell or husk, implying incompleteness) — expressing the philosophical harmony between perfection and imperfection, fullness and void.

The form is a rounded, ovoid vase with a gracefully narrow neck and a flared lip, thrown in local clay and finished in Nikaido's signature kairagi-style crackle glaze: a richly textured white surface fractured into a fine mosaic of crackling, punctuated by bold, abstract dark passages of iron-rich glaze where the underlying clay breathes through.

The contrast between the volcanic white surface and the deep black-brown passages gives the piece an almost geological presence — as though it were a fragment of landscape pulled from the earth.

This 2026 work was created at the height of Nikaido's international recognition.

The vase is currently being exhibited at Galerie Devals, Palais-Royal, Paris, as part of the solo exhibition 7 Vases (4 June – 30 July 2026), alongside an exhibition at Formacha, Amsterdam, in June 2026.

Tamakara vases are produced in extremely limited numbers and are among the rarest works in Nikaido's entire oeuvre.

Suitable for ikebana flower arrangement or display as a pure sculptural object.

Size
Height: 20.7 cm

Body diameter: 13.3 cm

Mouth outer diameter: 4.0 cm

Foot diameter: 3.9 cm

Weight
880 g

Condition
New and unused, in perfect condition.

No chips, cracks, or damage of any kind. No Box.

Artist Profile
Nikaido Akihiro 二階堂明弘 (b. 1977, Sapporo, Japan) graduated from the Ceramics Department of Bunka Gakuin College of Art in 1999 and established his independent practice in 2001.

He works primarily with local Japanese clays, particularly those associated with the Mashiko tradition, and fires his works to achieve complex, layered surfaces informed by his sustained engagement with the Japanese philosophical aesthetic of Yūgen (幽玄) — the evocation of an unseen depth beyond immediate perception.

Nikaido's ceramics have been exhibited internationally at leading galleries and art fairs in Europe, the United States, and Japan, and his works are held in private and institutional collections worldwide.

His current solo exhibition 7 Vases at Galerie Devals, Palais-Royal, Paris (4 June – 30 July 2026) marks a new stage in his development, presenting large-scale works in red clay, yellow clay, and black glaze with increasingly complex surfaces.

NOTICE:
The photos may show flowers, plants, pedestals, etc. as examples of decorations and interior design for illustrative purposes, but please note that these are not included in the product.
The lot will be carefully packaged and sent by DHL, FedEx or Japan Post depending on the situation.

Please note that we may use recycled cardboard boxes for outer packaging.

It takes about 2–3 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.

Please note that as of 1 July 2026, the EU has abolished the de minimis customs exemption.

All shipments to EU countries are now subject to import duties and VAT regardless of the declared value of the goods.

For shipments with a declared value under €150, an additional customs processing fee of €3 may also apply.

Sometimes Customs or the delivery company in your country may contact you for Customs clearance via phone or email.

Please make sure that you can answer the phone.

If you don't, the parcel will be returned to us and it costs more than double the shipping fee for reshipping.

We do appreciate your kind cooperation.