Item Description This is an elegant flower vase created by 三代徳田八十吉 Tokuda Yasokichi III (1933-2009), a designated Living National Treasure renowned for his revolutionary saiyu (彩釉) glaze technique. This piece comes with its original signed wooden box (tomobako), confirming its authenticity and provenance. Tokuda Yasokichi III transformed the traditional Kutani porcelain craft by developing his distinctive "Yousai" (耀彩) technique—a method of creating luminous color gradations using over 70 different glaze formulations. Unlike conventional Kutani ware featuring painted motifs of landscapes, figures, or flowers, Tokuda's work celebrates pure color itself, creating stunning visual effects through delicate gradations of blues, greens, yellows, and purples fired at exceptionally high temperatures (approximately 1,040°C). This flower vase exemplifies his mature artistic vision, showcasing the sophisticated interplay of color transitions that became his signature style. The piece demonstrates the technical mastery that earned him recognition as a Living National Treasure in 1997 for "colored glaze porcelain" (彩釉磁器). His works are held in prestigious collections worldwide, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, British Museum, and Smithsonian Institution. The vase displays the characteristic brilliance and depth of color that made Tokuda's work internationally acclaimed, representing a perfect fusion of traditional Kutani craftsmanship and contemporary artistic expression. Size Height: 20.5 cm Width: 8 cm Depth: 8 cm Weight 267 g Condition The piece shows minor signs of age with some surface soiling noted by the original seller, but remains in generally excellent condition consistent with a carefully preserved work by a renowned master artist. Artist Profile Tokuda Yasokichi III (1933-2009) was born in Komatsu, Ishikawa Prefecture, as the grandson of the first Tokuda Yasokichi and eldest son of the second generation. After withdrawing from Kanazawa College of Art, he studied traditional Kutani glaze preparation under both his grandfather and father. In 1988, he formally succeeded to the family name as the third Tokuda Yasokichi. His groundbreaking contribution to ceramic art was the development of the "Yousai" technique around 1973, creating unprecedented luminous color gradations by carefully controlling the fusion of multiple colored glazes. This innovation transformed traditional Kutani ware and established an entirely new aesthetic vocabulary for Japanese ceramics. In 1997, he was designated as a Living National Treasure (重要無形文化財保持者) for "colored glaze porcelain." His numerous accolades include the Grand Prize at the 11th Japan Ceramic Art Exhibition (1991), the Medal with Purple Ribbon (1993), and recognition as an Honorary Citizen of Komatsu City. His works have been exhibited internationally in major cities including New York, Paris, London, and Cairo, and are permanently housed in the world's most prestigious museums including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, British Museum, Smithsonian Institution, and major Japanese national museums. Tokuda Yasokichi III passed away in 2009, leaving behind a transformative legacy in contemporary Japanese ceramics. He was succeeded by his daughter, who became the fourth generation Tokuda Yasokichi. 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.