Large Ceramic Jar with Tenmoku Glaze by Brother Thomas Bezanson

An early ceramic vase in a cylinder form by potter Brother Thomas Bezanson (1929-2007). Unusually tall at 21.75 inches, the vase strikes the viewer with its slender silouette with a tapering neck and mouth opening. What is extraordinary about this piece is the complex glaze Bezanson applied on the surface. Three vertical black glaze stripes are featured around the surface. On one side, stacks of horizontal finger-like marks were placed on a brown and silvery iridescent background, characterized as "Honan tenmoku" glaze. The other side, the glaze took on a brilliant silver oxidation in a mottled effect. The top conical portion is largely covered with a thick and oily "black olive" glaze, which is dripping down in high saturation. Circles surrounding the rim was less iron-saturated, forming a more orderly visual border. In close range, the different glazes across the vase displays subtle changes of shimmering, iridescent and textured effects and are visually mesmerizing. Bezanson's ceramic and glaze techniques was rooted in Asian ceramic tradition but utterly modern looking. The vase was marked on the base "Benedictine Monks Weston Vermont", "^60 BRENER" and Bezanson's decipher as shown. The decipher indicated that this vase was made in Weston VT circa 1965-1970, same period of another vase with similar glaze effect in our gallery (shown in the last photo), showcasing the highly sophisticated techniques Bezanson mastered and used fluidly in his ceramic work. Brother Thomas Bezanson (1929-2007) was a Canadian born artist and Benedictine monk primarily known for his porcelain pottery and mastery of complex glazes. Strongly influenced by Asian pottery, often adapting traditional Chinese and Japanese pottery methods and materials to his work. He is renowned for his original glaze recipes and perfect forms and always sought to create something new and beautiful. His exacting standards made for the shattering of over 80% of each firing. One "rescued" piece however is now in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. His estate is represented by Pucker Gallery...

An early ceramic vase in a pear shape form by celebrated potter Brother Thomas Bezanson (1929-2007). The shape of this porcelain glazed vase is one of the Chinese prototypes known as...

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An exquisite, beautifully crafted Japanese pottery vase by master potter Shoji Hamada featuring Hamada's famous signature tenmoku glaze with kaki trailing. The original Hamada signed and sealed wood storage box is included as well as the written appraised signature of his son Shinsaku Hamada. The vase also comes with a printed artist profile/sales brochure of Hamada (featuring some of his other presumably available work). It appears this piece was offered at the Keio Department store in Shinjuku, Tokyo. At first glance, this may seem odd but in fact, this is quite an honor in Japan. This store is known for selling and exhibiting such high-profile artists and potters as Bernard Leach, Lucie Rie, Gyokudo Kawai, Shiko Munakata, Kawai Kanjiro, and Rosanjin Kitaoji. A major goal of many ceramic artists in Japan is to have a one-man exhibition in a department store. For many Westerners, this is a strange concept. Some of the larger department stores have up to three or four dedicated galleries showing concurrent art exhibitions. A well-known artist's exhibition can bring in hundreds, often thousands, of customers to a store and increase revenue for other sales in the millions-of-yen range. These exhibits are usually longer running and highlight a potter's career, like a Living National...