Item Description 藤井朱明 Fujii Shumei（1936-） This exquisite decorative vase titled "Asahi" (Morning Sun) is a masterwork of Japanese Arita porcelain (Arita-yaki), created by celebrated ceramist Fujii Shumei, a distinguished associate member of the Japan Fine Arts Exhibition (Nitten). The vase features a bold, spherical form with a distinctive flared petal-shaped mouth — a signature vessel form associated with Fujii's mature style. The artwork is rendered in refined sometsuke (underglaze cobalt blue) technique, depicting a breathtaking panoramic landscape of snow-capped mountains rising above a dense conifer forest. Countless individual pine trees are rendered with extraordinary detail across the entire curved surface, their fine brushwork varying in tone from deep indigo at the base to misty, diffused washes of blue near the mountain peaks, where the snow appears to dissolve into a luminous white sky. This gradation technique — known for capturing the shifting light and atmosphere of a Japanese mountain morning — exemplifies Fujii's signature approach of using leaves and natural elements in sometsuke to portray the four-season heartscapes of Arita. The reverse of the body continues the forest motif seamlessly, wrapping the scene in a 360-degree panorama. The flat base is entirely covered in deep blue tree patterns, visible in the bottom photographs. The body is pure white porcelain with a brilliant high-gloss glaze, and the unglazed foot ring shows the natural fired clay of Arita. The work comes in its original signed wooden box (tomobako), with the title "朝日" (Asahi / Morning Sun) inscribed on the lid alongside the artist's signature and red seal stamp, confirming authenticity. Size Height: 23 cm Width: 26 cm Depth: 26 cm Weight 3,011 g Condition The vase is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, or repairs; minor age-related wear consistent with storage may be present, as noted by the seller. Artist Profile 藤井朱明 Fujii Shumei（1936-） Fujii Shumei was born in 1936 in Arita, Saga Prefecture, the heartland of Japanese porcelain production. He began working in local red-painting workshops and ceramic manufacturing companies from the age of fifteen, developing deep expertise in the traditional decorative arts of Arita. In 1962, he achieved his first acceptance at the prestigious Japan Fine Arts Exhibition (Nitten) with the work "Kanryū" (Cold Current), and went on to be selected fifteen times. In 1963, he established himself independently as a nishikitsuke (overglaze decoration) specialist, and in 1974 founded his own kiln, the Shumei-gama. He is a recipient of numerous distinguished awards including the Japan Ceramics Exhibition Prize, the Minister of Education Award at the Kyushu-Yamaguchi Ceramics Exhibition, and the Japan New Craft Award. Fujii is best known for his signature technique of depicting seasonal landscape scenes in underglaze blue (sometsuke), using natural motifs such as foliage and trees to evoke the intimate atmosphere of the Arita region throughout the four seasons. He holds the rank of Associate Member (Kaiyū) of the Japan Fine Arts Exhibition and is a member of the Saga Fine Arts Association. 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.