花瓶 - Stoneware - Japan - Yamamoto Yuichi, 備前

Item Description
A tall Bizen ware flower vase by 山本雄一 Yamamoto Yuichi (1935-), holder of Important Intangible Cultural Property of Okayama Prefecture and the eldest son of Living National Treasure Yamamoto Toshu. His work is held in the collection of the Musée national de Céramique in Sèvres, France, and has been purchased by the Imperial Household Agency of Japan.

The vase has a slender, gently tapering form with a rounded square cross-section. Natural kiln effects (yohen) appear across the unglazed clay surface, created by flame and ash during firing rather than by any applied glaze. The piece transitions from a warm orange-brown at the base to deep brown and olive-toned scenery across the shoulder and neck, with fine vertical striations and small ash-like granules adding character to the surface. The interior reveals a reddish clay body with visible wheel marks, and the artist's seal mark appears on the base.

An elegant piece for ikebana or as a sculptural object on its own. Comes with the original signed wooden box (tomobako), cloth and the artist's leaflet.

Artist Profile
Yamamoto Yuichi was born in 1935 in Imbe, Bizen City, Okayama Prefecture, the eldest son of Living National Treasure Yamamoto Toshu. He entered the path of pottery under his father in 1959 and was first selected for the Japan Traditional Kogei Exhibition in 1962, going on to be selected 37 times. In 1967 he travelled through Europe, the Soviet Union and the United States to study ceramics; in France he worked in the studio of the artist Marie Dora, and the same year he became a full member of the Japan Kogei Association. In 1968 he was the first Bizen potter to introduce a gas kiln, perfecting his techniques for hidasuki (fire-cord) and himon markings.

He has held more than twenty solo exhibitions at Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi in Tokyo, as well as exhibitions in New York and Washington DC, and took part in the "Bizen: A Thousand Years of Tradition" exhibition in Paris in 1997. In 1999 the Musée national de Céramique in Sèvres purchased his Bizen hidasuki octagonal bowl, and the Imperial Household Agency purchased two of his vases. In 2004 and 2005 he dedicated works to the Ise Grand Shrine.

His honours include the Kaneshige Toyo Prize (1977), the Tanabe Museum of Art Grand Prize (1996), the Medal with Dark Blue Ribbon (1998), and the Minister of Education Award for Regional Cultural Merit (2010). In 1996 he was designated holder of Important Intangible Cultural Property of Okayama Prefecture.

Dimensions
Height: 25 cm
Width: 9.5 cm
Depth: 8.9 cm

Weight
882 g

Condition
Excellent condition with no chips, cracks or repairs. The surface shows natural kiln effects and fine vertical striations that occurred during making and firing, typical of Bizen ware.

Additional Information
Maker: 山本雄一 Yamamoto Yuichi (1935-)
Origin: Bizen, Okayama Prefecture, Japan
Material: Bizen ware (unglazed stoneware)
Marking: seal mark on the base
Includes: original signed wooden box (tomobako), original cloth, artist's leaflet

NOITICE:

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