Takenaka Kō (竹中浩), Japanese (1941–2024)

A White-Porcelain Sake Bottle (白磁徳利)

Year 1999, Summer

About the work

A compact white-porcelain sake bottle by Takenaka Kō, with a rounded body, short
tapering neck and gently flaring lip. Broad horizontal undulations around the body add
a tactile quality to the otherwise restrained form.
The vessel swells beneath the shoulder before narrowing towards its base. Its softly
stepped contours catch alternating bands of light and shadow, creating a subtle
rhythm across the exterior. The mouth opens from a narrower neck, giving the bottle a
clear separation between upper and lower sections.
The glossy white glaze emphasises these changes in profile without relying on
painted decoration. Small variations in reflected light suggest the care given to the
transition between each rounded band. The overall effect is calm and composed, with
the porcelain’s surface remaining central to the design.
The bottle brings sculptural interest to a familiar sake-serving form and can also be
appreciated as a small independent vessel. Accompanied by a wooden box bearing
the dedication Munakata Keiichi (宗像敬一), and the date “summer of Heisei 11”
(1999).

Dimensions

11.5cm(h) x 8cm(w)

Footnote

Takenaka Kō was born in Tokyo in 1941 and grew up in Obama, Fukui
Prefecture. Inspired by Korean white porcelain, he began training under Kondō Yūzō
in 1961 and established his own kiln in Kyoto’s Yamashina district in 1970. His
ceramics place particular emphasis on clear form and the surface qualities of
porcelain, including faceted and carved vessels as well as smooth, undecorated
shapes. He received the Japan Ceramic Society Award in 1981 and was recognised
as a holder of Kyoto Prefecture’s Intangible Cultural Property for ceramics in 1996.
His work was exhibited widely in Japan and internationally. He died in 2024.