Hara Kiyoshi (原清), Japanese, b.1936

An Iron-Glazed Vase with Horse Motif (鉄釉馬文花瓶)

Showa Era (1926-1989), Heisei Era (1989-2019) or Reiwa Era (2019-present)

About the work

An exceptional iron-glazed vase by Hara Kiyoshi, one of Japan’s foremost modern ceramic artists, celebrated for his dynamic use of iron glaze and evocative imagery. The bold, rounded form is covered in a rich, lustrous glaze of deep brown and black, depicting stylized horse silhouettes emerging through mottled textures that convey both motion and spirit.

This piece exemplifies Hara’s mastery of expressive surface design and his ability to balance abstraction with narrative form. Its restrained palette and powerful composition reflect the artist’s lifelong pursuit of harmony between clay, glaze, and vitality of line.

Dimensions

31.3cm(h) x 14.5cm(w)

Footnote

Hara Kiyoshi (b. 1936), from Gifu Prefecture, is a celebrated Japanese ceramic artist and designated Living National Treasure for iron-glazed pottery. Trained under Ishiguro Munemaro and Shimizu Uichi, both Living National Treasures, he became the foremost authority on tetsuyu ceramics. His works, widely exhibited and collected, are renowned for elevating the expressive potential of iron glazes in postwar Japanese ceramic art.