Contemporary Japanese Gilded Porcelain Sleeping Cat

Exquisite Meiji period Japanese Kutani sculpture of a sleeping cat in fine porcelain, inspired by the small wooden sculpture at the entrance of...

Extraordinary Japanese contemporary porcelain bear sculpture, hand-painted in green, blue, orange purple in a dramatic pattern set against a gold background, by Japanese artist from the historic Imari-Arita region of Japan. This stunning bear is from the limited edition series of four bear...

Mesmerizing signed contemporary decorative porcelain mask, intricately hand painted on both sides. It's a signed masterpiece by award-winning master por...

Exquisite Japanese Ko-Imari (old Imari) porcelain short stem cup, in bright red, blue and green colors and generous gold application that are characteristics of Ko-Imari Porcelain ca...

A delightful Japanese attributed porcelain figure of a resting elephant with a young boy dating from the early 20th century. The hollow molded figure portrays a sleeping elephant, ly...

"Purple Dawn", a ceramic sculpture piece by Japanese potter Kiyoharu Ichino (1957-). Purchased from Touching Stone, Santa Fe, New Mexico in 2003. Tradition meets renovation, this sculptural piece with its slab like minimal shape draws the viewer into its mysterious shape that is reminiscent of a monument. Its surface, with the typical Tanba clay fired at very high temperature and completely free of glaze, radiates a subtle metallic sheen that is nearly in a shade of purple. This piece was purchased from Touching Stone, Santa Fe, New Mexico in 2003. Artist's bio from the gallery and the exhibition: "Kiyoharu Ichino was born in 1957 in Tachikui into an extended family steeped in pottery-making tradition. He learned all aspects of Tanba pottery since childhood. When he was twenty, he moved to Seto to study pottery under a master of Akatsu-yaki. Upon returning to Tachikui, he launched his career with the Tanba Group Kiln. In 1983, he established his own kiln and began showing in galleries all over Japan. His works have been selected repeatedly for the prestigious juried Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition sponsored by the Japan Crafts Association. In 1995, he was nominated to be a permanent member of The Japan Crafts Association, an honor bestowed to the most experienced and talented artists. Traditional Tanba pottery is fired unglazed at very high temperature in large wood-fueled kilns. Ichino uses both an anagama (hole kiln) and a noborigama (climbing kiln), burning almost a thousand bundles of wood over several days to bring out the unique personalities of Tanba clay, which is renowned for its rich texture and deep purplish brown colors. Many of his pieces show silvery fire-marks like swirling mists left by the wood fire. His pieces appear to be integral parts of the clay rather than separate objects made from it. To show the unique clay texture, he often includes seemingly unfinished edges in his designs, exposing the rough clay body. Despite the high level of sophistication and innovation, Ichino's works maintain a strong connection with the ancient Tanba pottery tradition. Ichino should be no stranger to many Santa Fe residents. His work has been exhibited both in Touching Stone Gallery and as part of a major exhibition in the New Mexico Museum of International Folk Art in 2006. About Tanba ware...

A ceramic square plate with white-celadon glaze by Japanese potter Yoshikawa Masamichi (1946-). The sharp-edged plate features a concaved center an...

A richly glazed ceramic sculptural slab in the shape of a centerpiece plate by Japanese ceramic artist Yoshikawa Masamichi (1946-). The highly abst...