Inoue Manji (井上萬二), Japanese, 1929–2025

A White Porcelain Confectionery Bowl with Carved Bamboo Design (白磁笹彫文菓子鉢)

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

About the work

An elegant white porcelain confectionery bowl by Inoue Manji, the renowned Arita master and Living National Treasure celebrated for his refinement of white porcelain. This vessel exemplifies his lifelong pursuit of purity, restraint, and clarity in porcelain expression.

The bowl is wide and shallow, with a gently lobed rim. Its interior surface is delicately carved with bamboo leaf motifs in low relief, revealed softly through the translucent white glaze. The simplicity of form and luminous glaze highlight Inoue’s aesthetic of serenity and precision, reflecting both Arita’s deep porcelain tradition and his own modern sensibility.

The work is accompanied by its original signed tomobako (wooden storage box) and paper insert, attesting to authenticity.

Dimensions

7cm(h) x 24cm(w) x 24cm(d)

Footnote

Inoue Manji was born in 1929 in Arita, Saga Prefecture, the historic center of Japanese porcelain. After training at the Arita Ceramics Research Institute, he established his own kiln in 1971 and developed a career dedicated to the perfection of white porcelain. His mastery was recognized in 1995 with designation as a Living National Treasure. Inoue’s works have been widely exhibited in Japan and abroad, collected by institutions including the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo, and the Imperial Household Agency. His many honors include the Purple Ribbon Medal (1997) and the Order of the Rising Sun (2003). Revered for his pursuit of absolute purity and refinement, Inoue is remembered as the preeminent modern master of Arita porcelain.