Ryoji Koie (鯉江良二), Japanese, 1938–2020

A Shell-Glazed Tea Bowl (貝釉茶碗)

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

About the work

This tea bowl by Ryoji Koie exemplifies the artist’s radical yet deeply material-driven approach to ceramic form. Thrown with a broad, open profile, the bowl possesses a grounded weight and quiet tension between refinement and rawness. The surface is coated with shell glaze, producing a soft bluish-gray tone mottled with mineral inclusions and natural variations from firing. Subtle pooling and rough textures evoke geological processes, emphasizing the bowl’s tactile presence and organic character.

The work is accompanied by its original wooden storage box, confirming authenticity and careful preservation.

Dimensions

8.7cm(h) x 11.8cm(w) x 14cm(d)

Footnote

Ryoji Koie (1938–2020) was born in Aichi Prefecture and trained in ceramics at Tokoname High School and the Tokoname Municipal Ceramic Research Institute. A central figure in postwar Japanese ceramics, he co-founded the Tokoname Formative Group and built his own anagama kiln in 1975. Koie was a member of the International Academy of Ceramics and taught for many years at Aichi University of the Arts. Actively exhibited internationally, including at the Denver Art Museum and the Centre Pompidou, he received numerous honors such as the Vallauris International Grand Prize, the Oribe Prize, and the Japan Ceramic Society Gold Award.