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

A Shino Water Jar with Pine Tree Decoration (志野 松文 水指)

Showa Era (1926-1989)

About the work

A superb Shino water jar by Toyozo Arakawa. Created at his Ōgaya Kiln (大萱窯), this mizusashi embodies the rustic elegance and profound appreciation for natural beauty that define Arakawa's celebrated oeuvre.

The water jar is robustly potted in a near cylindrical form with softly rounded shoulders and a broad mouth, accompanied by a fitted black lacquer lid. The vessel is covered in a luminous feldspathic Shino glaze, its creamy white surface subtly enriched with warm blushes of pink and orange produced by the firing. Freely painted in iron underglaze is a sweeping pine tree (matsu) landscape that wraps around the body, depicting a windswept pine standing amidst rolling hills. Executed with vigorous yet economical brushwork, the composition recalls the spontaneous ink paintings admired during the Momoyama period while perfectly complementing the soft, tactile quality of the Shino glaze.

The base bears the impressed mark of the artist, and the water jar is accompanied by its original signed wooden storage box (tomobako), together with a black lacquer lid. 

Dimensions

21.4cm(h) x 18.5cm(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.