Masafumi Yamaguchi (山口正文), Japanese (1941–2018)

A Decorated Ceramic Bowl with Scroll Motifs (文様碗)

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

About the work

A decorated ceramic bowl by Masafumi Yamaguchi of Nishiyama Kiln, with a dark glossy exterior enlivened by pale, freely drawn scroll motifs. Its rounded body and slightly irregular mouth give the vessel a relaxed, handmade character.

The sides rise from a compact circular foot, broadening towards an open rim. Shallow changes in contour and visible circular lines within the bowl preserve the rhythm of forming. The dark glaze creates a reflective surface, while lighter passages inside provide a soft contrast to the exterior.

Across the body, curling linear motifs overlap a broad pale diagonal area. Small dots and looping marks break up the dark ground, creating an informal decorative arrangement rather than a rigid repeating pattern. The restrained palette allows these changes in line and texture to remain prominent.

The bowl was offered alongside a companion vessel with a different design. A wooden box is pictured for each bowl, together with a family biography leaflet. The seller describes the set as unused and kept in domestic storage.

Dimensions

8.5cm(h) x 9.5cm(w) x 9.2cm(d)

Footnote

Masafumi Yamaguchi (1941 - 2018) was a Japanese ceramic artist from Seto and the fifth-generation head of Nishiyama Kiln in Nishikamamachi, Seto City. He received the Mayor’s Award for Japanese painting at the Seto City Exhibition and later exhibited widely as a ceramic artist. His works were accepted into major exhibitions including the Seto City Exhibition, the Contemporary Japanese Ceramics Exhibition, the Asahi Ceramic Exhibition, and the Kōfūkai Exhibition. The Nishiyama Kiln lineage continues today under the sixth-generation successor, Makoto Yamaguchi.