Toyozo Arakawa (荒川豊蔵), Japanese (1894-1985)

A Shino Mizusashi with Matching Lid (志野 水指)

Showa Era (1926-1989)

About the work

This exceptional Shino ware mizusashi by Toyozo Arakawa embodies the quiet strength and refined rusticity that defined the artist’s revival of Momoyama-period Mino ceramics. The rounded form is balanced by softly projecting lug handles and a fitted ceramic lid, creating a harmonious and restrained silhouette suited to the aesthetics of the Japanese tea ceremony.

The surface is covered in a luminous feldspathic Shino glaze of milky white tone, enriched by subtle fire marks, natural pinholing, and delicate variations in texture resulting from the firing process. The tactile, gently uneven surface reflects the spontaneity and warmth prized in traditional Shino ware, while the exposed foot reveals the earthy clay body beneath. The understated simplicity of the vessel demonstrates Arakawa’s deep understanding of classical tea ceramics and his ability to reinterpret historical forms with remarkable sensitivity.

The mizusashi is accompanied by its original signed wooden storage box (tomobako) and matching cloth.

Dimensions

16.5cm(h) x 23.5cm(w)

Footnote

Toyozo Arakawa (1894-1985) was one of the most influential ceramic artists of the Showa period and a central figure in the revival of Momoyama-period Mino ware traditions. Born in Tajimi, Gifu Prefecture, into a family connected to generations of Mino potters, he devoted his life to rediscovering the origins of Shino, Setoguro, and Kiseto ceramics. In 1930, after studying ancient shards excavated from old kiln sites in Kani, Gifu, Arakawa confirmed that Shino ware originated in Mino rather than Seto, fundamentally reshaping the understanding of Japanese ceramic history. He subsequently established an anagama kiln at Ogaya modeled after Momoyama-period kilns and pursued the recreation of classical Shino aesthetics, eventually developing his own celebrated style known as “Arakawa Shino.” In 1955, he was designated a Living National Treasure for Shino and Setoguro ceramics, and in 1971 he received the Order of Culture.