Kohyama Yasuhisa Vases and Vessels

A modern ikebana vase in a rectangular form made in the tradition of Shigaraki ware by celebrated Japanese potter Kohyama Yasuhisa (1936-). Born in the town of Shigaraki, Yasuhisa was one of the first potters who revived the ancient techniques by building wood-firing anagama kiln in Shigaraki (caved or climbing kiln that is often partially underground). His works is inspired by Sueki, an ancient unglazed ware originated from China, but they are characterized by modern and sculptural form and exquisite glassy surface and managed to appear both archaic and avant-garde. Kohyama hand-builds his pottery using potter's knife to boldly shape the pieces into asymmetrical sculptural forms. He often mixes the sandy Shigaraki clay with feldspar nuggets and uses a piano string to texturize the surface. These special techniques render the surface of his pottery a rare tactile and shimmering quality. Coupled with the random wood ash glaze resulted from the traditional firing process, a subtle but extraordinary array of colors and textures are achieved. The vessel on offer here exemplifies most of the aforementioned qualities. It is heavily built with thick walls. Slightly asymmetrical in its rectangular form, the vessel features an irregularly cut mouth rim and ridge lines running on the front and back, as if the vase were pieced together from two halves. The surface is subdued but extraordinary, with a fine texture and a subtly shifting colors, and even a bit of sparkling from the embedded feldspar crystals. It appears both ancient and modern. The vase comes with its original wrapping cloth and storage box (tomobako) with Kanji inscription "Shigaraki Natural Glaze, Ikebana Vase, the name of his anagama kiln and then his signature and seal. For a vessel of a similar design in Brooklyn Museum, see page 47 of the book "Yasuhisa Kohyama...