Ayukai Kōgetsu (鮎貝晄月), Japanese

A Fuji Incense Box (香合富士) 

Shōwa Era (1926–1989) or Heisei Era (1989–2019)

About the work

A sculptural ceramic incense box (kōgō) by Ayukai Kōgetsu, modelled in a stylised Mount Fuji form. Its low, angular silhouette combines softly raised contours with flowing cream, olive-green and brown glazes.

The lid rises towards an irregular summit, with sloping sides suggesting the mountain’s distinctive outline. Uneven ridges and gently softened edges give the piece an organic character, interpreting the subject through expressive modelling rather than precise symmetry.

Pale cream glaze covers portions of the upper surface, contrasting with translucent green and deeper olive passages. Dark brown bands gather along the contours and around the junction between lid and base, emphasising the layered construction. Glossy areas catch the light, while variations in glaze thickness enrich the small vessel’s tactile surface.

The compact form offers an intimate interpretation of a familiar Japanese landscape subject. Its combination of angular modelling and fluid glaze gives the box visual interest from several viewpoints, allowing it to be appreciated as both a tea ceremony utensil and a small sculptural object.

Accompanied by its original wooden box, inscribed to identify the Fuji incense box.

Dimensions

2.9cm(h) x 7cm(w) x 4m(d)

Footnote

Ayukai Kōgetsu (鮎貝晄月), whose given name is Mitsuko (光子), is a Japanese ceramic artist and calligrapher from Kesennuma, Miyagi Prefecture. After graduating from Chūō University, she studied calligraphy under Ono Senshū and participated in several calligraphy exhibitions. In 1976, she encountered the Oni-Shino potter Tsukigata Nahiko, subsequently studying ceramics, painting and sculpture at his workshop between 1979 and 1987. Her accompanying biography records that she established a kiln in Gifu Prefecture in 1985 and adopted the studio name Kaichōkyo (海潮居). That year, she held a solo exhibition at Marumitsu Department Store in Kesennuma, followed by exhibitions at department stores elsewhere. Her practice encompasses both the expressive surfaces of Ariso ceramics and the brushwork of calligraphy.