Shimizu Uichi (清水卯一) Japanese, 1926-2004

A Yakishime Flower Vase (焼締花瓶)

Showa Era (1926-1989) or Heisei Era (1989-2019)

About the work

A striking yakishime flower vase by Shimizu Uichi, one of Japan’s most celebrated 20th-century ceramic masters and a designated Living National Treasure for iron-glazed stoneware. This work exemplifies his profound ability to elevate unglazed clay into a medium of expressive power and natural beauty.

The rounded form is fired to a rich, earthen surface alive with dramatic kiln effects: natural ash deposits, rivulets of feldspathic glaze, and molten textures that have crystallized into rugged, gestural patterns. An energetic contrast emerges between the course, iron-bearing clay and the glossy, kiln-born surfaces, capturing the fierce vitality of the anagama firing process.

The foot bears Shimizu’s impressed seal, and the piece is accompanied by its original signed tomobako (wooden storage box), attesting to its authenticity and esteemed provenance.

Dimensions

21cm(h) x 20.5cm(w)

Footnote

Shimizu Uichi (1926–2004) was born in Kyoto to a family dealing in Kyo ware. At age 14, he began studying under master potter Ishiguro Munemaro and later trained at the Kyoto Ceramic Research Institute. A founding member of avant-garde groups such as Shikokai and Ryokokai, Shimizu helped modernize postwar Japanese ceramics while remaining deeply rooted in tradition. In 1970, he established the Horai Kiln at the base of Mount Horai in Shiga, from which this series takes its name. Designated a Living National Treasure in 1985 for iron-glazed stoneware, he received numerous honors, including the Medal with Purple Ribbon (1986) and the Kyoto City Cultural Merit Award (1992). His works are held in major museum collections in Japan and abroad.