Ken Matsuzaki (松崎健), Japanese (b. 1950)

An Oribe Tokkuri (織部 徳利)

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

About the work

A deeply poetic Oribe tokkuri (sake bottle) by renowned Mashiko-based potter Ken Matsuzaki, featuring the kanji characters for the four seasons: 春 (spring), 夏 (summer), 秋 (autumn), and 冬 (winter), each inscribed on a different face of the vessel. This piece embodies the Japanese reverence for nature’s cyclical beauty, rendered through the lens of a contemporary master of Oribe ware.

The bottle rises with confident energy into a subtly flared neck, its surface animated by vivid green Oribe glaze interspersed with natural ash, feldspar inclusions, and iron-slip brushwork. The four characters are boldly and expressively written, each offering a unique visual texture and rhythm across the curved surface.

This piece is accompanied by its original tomobako (signed wooden box) and protective cloth.

Dimensions

13cm(h) x 8.2cm(w)

Footnote

Ken Matsuzaki, born in 1950 in Tokyo, is a renowned ceramic artist trained at Tamagawa University's School of Fine Arts. After apprenticing under Tatsuzo Shimaoka in Mashiko, he established his kiln, Yuushin Gama. Known for blending traditional Shino, Oribe, and yohen glazes with modern aesthetics, his works are celebrated worldwide and included in prestigious collections such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Victoria and Albert Museum.