Fuji Shumei 花瓶 - 瓷器 - 日本 - 昭和年代(1926-1989)

Vase : Dawn over the Arita Valley

Porcelain vase by Fujii Shumei, from a European collection. Shipped from Europe: no customs fees for EU bidders.

The decoration unfolds in a soft gradient from blue to lavender tones and then to white, evoking the diffuse light of dawn over the Arita valley.
The forests covering the slopes are created using the konoha‑gihō technique: leaves are applied to the surface before firing, leaving the vein patterns. These natural textures create a layering of planes, from the dark trees in the foreground to the lighter masses that blend into the colored mist.
This transition from dark to light, reinforced by successive layers of plant reliefs, gives the vase a pronounced atmospheric depth: the eye passes over the treetops to reach the upper area, bathed in pale light reminiscent of the first moments of day.

Dimensions
Height: 17 cm
Diameter: 12.5 cm

Fujii Shumei (1936–2017)
Ceramist from Arita (Saga Prefecture). Founder of the Shumeigama kiln in 1974. He developed a personal visual language based on traditional Arita techniques, enriched with innovative processes, including konoha‑gihō, which became his signature. Selected repeatedly for the Nitten and the Japan Ceramic Art Exhibition. Recipient of the Saga Prefecture Cultural Achievement Award in 1994. Some of his works are kept in public collections, including the British Museum.