Wada Kiriyama III (三代 和田桐山) Japanese, (1917–1994)

A Flower Vessel titled Heisei no Shiro (平成之城花器)

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

About the work

This sculptural flower vessel by Wada Kiriyama III presents a striking architectural silhouette defined by sharply faceted planes and a warm amber glaze. Rising to 28 cm, the form conveys structural poise, its surfaces arranged in a rhythmic sequence that echoes the fortress-like allusion of the title Heisei no Shiro. Subtle relief motifs, including floral emblems and crest-inspired designs, are integrated with precision, providing ornament that enhances rather than interrupts the vessel’s disciplined geometry. The squared mouth and looped handles underscore the architectural nature of the piece, while variations in glaze pooling accentuate each contour. 

The base bears the artist’s mark, and the work is offered with its original signed tomobako.

Dimensions

28.5cm(h) x 15cm(w) x 15.5cm(d)

Footnote

Born in Hyogo in 1917, Wada Kiriyama III studied ceramics under the first Kiriyama and trained in overglaze painting with Ushio Tori and Kaneshima Keika. His grounding in tea ceremony, sencha, and ikebana informed the elegance and cultural sensitivity of his work. A specialist in Kyoto-style ware, he succeeded to the name of Kiriyama III and inherited the Kotoura Kiln in 1977. Until his passing in 1994, he contributed a refined and classically rooted vision to modern Japanese ceramic art.