Takaaki Kimura (木村隆明), Japanese (1943 - 2022)

A Bizen Ware Flower Vase (備前寸胴花入)

Heisei Era (1989–2019) or Reiwa Era (2019–present)

About the work

A powerful Bizen ware flower vase by Takaaki Kimura, executed in the traditional cylindrical form. The vessel rises in a simple, upright silhouette that allows the dramatic effects of the firing process to take centre stage. Its restrained shape reflects the long-standing Bizen aesthetic, where beauty emerges through clay, flame, and time rather than applied decoration.

The surface displays a rich interplay of warm reddish-brown tones, natural ash deposits, and areas of dark charcoal-black scorching created during prolonged wood firing. Particularly striking is the vertical band of darkened surface running down one side of the vessel, providing a strong visual contrast against the iron-rich clay body. The rim and shoulder bear traces of natural ash accumulation, while the interior reveals the concentric throwing marks of the potter's wheel, preserving a direct connection to the making process.

The vase is accompanied by its original signed wooden storage box (tomobako) and artist documentation.

Dimensions

22.5cm(h) x 9.2cm(w) x 9cm(d)

Footnote

Takaaki Kimura was a respected potter from Bizen City, Okayama Prefecture, a region famed for traditional Bizen pottery. Born into the renowned Kimura family—one of Bizen's ancient "Rokusho" lineages—he trained under his father, Ichiyo Kimura, before establishing his own kiln in 1974. Celebrated for his refined Bizen works, Kimura skillfully incorporated distinctive kiln effects such as hidasuki (fire-cord patterns) and goma (sesame-seed ash deposits).