Monthly Archives: June 2026

Hamada Shoji : Vase

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[ Description of the Work ]

Mr. Shoji Hamada was an active founding member of the “Mingei” art movement in the early Showa period. After the war, he devoted himself to popularizing Mashiko ware and actively mentored younger generations.
Recognized for his ceramic techniques and contributions to the popularization of ceramics, he was designated a Living National Treasure and later awarded the Order of Culture. Leveraging his language skills, he gave lectures around the world to introduce Japanese ceramics, earning him the nickname “Hamada of the World.”

This piece is a flat-sided jar created during the very end of his life and exhibited at his solo show at the Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi department store in Tokyo. It exemplifies Hamada’s unique style, which combines persimmon glaze with red-painted designs.
The pattern, known as “Mountain Grass,” is rare; it features mountain ranges rendered in persimmon glaze, with grass and corn motifs painted in red.
Making full use of the flat vase’s shape, the painting displays a remarkable sense of depth and three-dimensionality, making this a piece that fully showcases Hamada’s aesthetic sensibility.

 

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GINZA KURODA TOUEN
5F 7-8-17 Ginza, Chuo, Tokyo JAPAN.
TORAYA Ginza Building  5th Floor
11:00-18:30
closed every Monday
Tel: +81-3-3571-3223

Kawai Kanjiro : Vase

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[ Description of the Work ]

Kanjirō Kawai was an active founding member of the “Mingei” art movement in the early Shōwa period. After the war, he pursued his own unique creative path, leaving behind many distinctive works.
This piece is a flat-sided jar from the [Three Colors] series, known as one of his representative works created during his final years.
Kawai favored this shape—a flat-sided jar composed of flat surfaces—because its large flat surfaces on the front and back provided a canvas for decoration and patterns, and he created numerous works in this style.

While Kawai typically used high-quality Shigaraki clay for his pottery, for this type of “Three Colors” series, he experimented by mixing in coarse clay excavated from within Kyoto City. This resulted in a grainy texture across the entire surface of the vessel, successfully emphasizing the three-color palette even further. The design, featuring red, green, and black glazes boldly applied with a ladle, draws inspiration from Action Painting, which was just beginning to gain popularity in the United States at the time.

Due to the nature of the Mingei movement, multiple copies of the same piece are produced; however, because they are fired in a climbing kiln, each piece exhibits unique variations.
This piece features perfect color saturation in all three hues, and the firing marks and charred tones have been achieved with ideal balance.

 

 | google map | 

GINZA KURODA TOUEN
5F 7-8-17 Ginza, Chuo, Tokyo JAPAN.
TORAYA Ginza Building  5th Floor
11:00-18:30
closed every Monday
Tel: +81-3-3571-3223

Kagoshima Juzo

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[ Description of the Work ]

Created in 1970, this work embodies the advanced techniques of Jūzō Kagoshima, a Living National Treasure known for his paper-molded dolls.

It was created using the paper-molded doll technique: hand-made washi paper is hand-molded into a sculpture, then layered with washi paper dyed purple and vermilion, painted with floral patterns, and decorated with gold dust.

This work depicts a mother and baby owl in a charming style and is brimming with humor.

Although the piece itself is unsigned, it comes with a short handwritten note by the artist.
It is presented on a dedicated round, black-lacquered display stand and comes in a paulownia wood box, which is housed within a specially made, original fabric-covered outer box.

Matsui Kosei : Vase

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[ Description of the Work ]

Master Kosei Matsui, a Living National Treasure in ceramics, is known for his “neri-age” technique, which involves mixing multicolored clay to create patterns.
This piece is part of the “Akane-de” series, which was unveiled as a new collection in 1981.
According to Mr. Matsui at the time, he had spent many years conducting research in pursuit of this particular shade of red, and this piece marked the culmination of those efforts.
The number of “Akane-de” pieces is limited compared to his other works, which gives us a sense of just how difficult it was to achieve that particular hue.
This is a beautiful piece featuring a soft, textured surface with a stunning gradient of crimson.

 

 | google map | 

GINZA KURODA TOUEN
5F 7-8-17 Ginza, Chuo, Tokyo JAPAN.
TORAYA Ginza Building  5th Floor
11:00-18:30
closed every Monday
Tel: +81-3-3571-3223

Matsui Kosei : Vase

Reply

 

[ Description of the Work ]

Master Kosei Matsui, a Living National Treasure in ceramics, is known for his “neri-age” technique, which involves mixing multicolored clay to create patterns.
This piece is part of the “Akane-de” series, which was unveiled as a new collection in 1981.
According to Mr. Matsui at the time, he had spent many years conducting research in pursuit of this particular shade of red, and this piece marked the culmination of those efforts.
The number of “Akane-de” pieces is limited compared to his other works, which gives us a sense of just how difficult it was to achieve that particular hue.
This is a beautiful piece featuring a soft, textured surface with a stunning gradient of crimson.

 

 | google map | 

GINZA KURODA TOUEN
5F 7-8-17 Ginza, Chuo, Tokyo JAPAN.
TORAYA Ginza Building  5th Floor
11:00-18:30
closed every Monday
Tel: +81-3-3571-3223

Kamoda Shoji : Vase

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[ Description of the Work ]

Shōji Kamoda is known as a genius ceramic artist who died young.
A native of Kishiwada, Osaka, he enrolled at Kyoto City University of Arts, where he studied ceramics under Kenkichi Tomimoto and others.
He began his ceramic career in Mashiko, Tochigi, later moved to Tono, Iwate, and eventually established his studio in Higashikurume, Tokyo.
He was active as a creator of original and innovative works but passed away at the young age of 49.

This piece was created in Tono, Iwate, in 1974. It is a flower vase hand-built using local Tono clay.
The pattern covering the entire surface of the vessel was inspired by the mesh patterns found on antique Sometsuke and Imari porcelain. The mesh pattern is carved into the clay, and its outlines are outlined with glaze.

The inorganic, cement-like texture of the clay is unique to the soil of Tono, and Kamoda was particularly fond of this texture.

The foot of the vase bears a carved signature reading “一九七四　章.”

 

 | google map | 

GINZA KURODA TOUEN
5F 7-8-17 Ginza, Chuo, Tokyo JAPAN.
TORAYA Ginza Building  5th Floor
11:00-18:30
closed every Monday
Tel: +81-3-3571-3223

Kawai Kanjiro : Vase

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[ Description of the Work ]
Kanjirō Kawai was an active founding member of the “Mingei” art movement in the early Shōwa period. After the war, he pursued his own unique creative path, leaving behind many distinctive works.
This piece is a handle-adorned jar with an amber glaze, created during the very late years of his life.
The shape of this jar was developed during Kawai’s final years and is said to be inspired by a handbag.
On the front and back surfaces of the vessel are patterns created using the traditional “choka-mon” (applied flower) technique, interpreted in Kawai’s unique style. This piece, with its almost robotic appearance, incorporates the design of iron rivets found on steel structures such as towers and power transmission towers.
The inscription on the box was written by Mr. Kawai’s wife.

This is a one-of-a-kind piece with very few known examples.

 | google map | 

GINZA KURODA TOUEN
5F 7-8-17 Ginza, Chuo, Tokyo JAPAN.
TORAYA Ginza Building  5th Floor
11:00-18:30
closed every Monday
Tel: +81-3-3571-3223