over 100000 JPY

Ishiguro Munemaro 石黒宗磨

1893-1968maleliving national treasureIshiguro Munemaro roamed areas such as Tokyo, Saitama, Toyama and Kanazawa as he created his pottery works, before building a kiln at Ohara, Kyoto and settling down in 1935. He then became close to individuals such as Koyama Fujio, Katō Hajime, Kaneshige Toyo, Arakawa Toyozō and Katō Tōkuro and founded the Tōri Society and the Kashiwa Society among others.His style was of free-spirited expression, and he showed outstanding talent in fields such as black glaze, iron glaze, iron painting, temmoku glaze, Karatsu ware, overglaze enamel and ash glaze.In particular, he was acknowledged as a holder of cultural property (more…)

Hirasawa Kuro 平沢九朗

1772-1840maleseto potterySamurai and ceramic artist during the late Edo Era.Born in 1772, he was a member of the Owari Nagoya Clan. Hirasawa enjoyed the tea ceremony, and made teaware in the seto and karatsu styles in his free time. His creations had a unique quality and were known as Kuro-yaki. He died at the age of 69 on June 23, 1840. His name was Kazusada. His alias was Seikuro. Also Konjyakuan. (more…)

Hara Kiyoshi 原清

1936–malekyo potteryliving national treasureAn aspiring potter, Hara Kiyoshi became an apprentice of Ishiguro Munemaro in 1954, later studying under Munemaro’s top apprentice Shimizu Uichi.He opened his own kiln in Setagaya, Tokyo in 1965, after previously participating in the Japan Traditional Kogei Exhibition for the first time in 1958 and becoing a regular member of the Japan Kogei Association in 1961.After opening his own kiln, he was conferred the Chairman’s Award at the Japan Traditional Kogei Exhibition in 1969, the Japan Ceramic Society Award in 1976, and the Tokyo Governor’s Award at the Japan Traditional Kogei Exhibition in 1997. He was (more…)

Hamada Shoji 濱田庄司

1894-1978malemashiko potteryliving national treasureHamada Shoji was a renowned craftsman and representative figure in modern Japanese pottery. Born in Tokyo in 1894, he resolved to become a potter while still a student at Furitsuicchu (the Tokyo First Prefectural Jr. High School, Hibiya high school at present). After studying ceramics at the Tokyo Higher Technical School (present-day Tokyo Institute of Technology), Hamada joined the Kyoto Municipal Ceramic Laboratory, where he would meet his lifelong friend, Kawai Kanjiro. As Hamada later summarized the narrative arc of his career, “I found the path in Kyoto, began my journey in England, studied in Okinawa, and (more…)

Nagaoka Kugon (Nagaoka Sumiemon 11th) 長岡空権 (十一代 長岡住右衛門)

1929-malerakuzan potteryThe first Sumiuemon revived the Rakuzangama kiln during the Kyowa period (1801-1804) at the orders of the feudal lord of Matsumoto; he is the 11th-generation successor. Mainly makes Irabo tea bowls in an area with a tea ceremony tradition. Focuses on solo exhibitions and has held them at Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi, Hiroshima Fukuya, Osaka Kintetsu, Gifu Marumono, and elsewhere. (more…)

Nakao Yasuzumi 中尾恭純

1950-malearita porcelainFrom Arita. Trained at the Saga Ceramics Research Institute. Studied under Inoue Manji. Won third prize in the Kyushu Yamaguchi Exhibition, as well as the Saga Television Prize. Won the Okinawa Times Prize in the West Japan Crafts Exhibition, the Asahi Newspaper Prize, the Prefectural Exhibition Association Prize, and the Member Merit Award. Won an Honorable Mention at the Issui-kai Exhibition. Selected for the Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition and others. Focuses on white ceramics, blue-and-white ceramics, and colored engraving. Regular member of the Japan Crafts Association. (more…)

Hamada Shinsaku 濱田晋作

1929-2023malemashiko potteryBorn as the second son of Living National Treasure Hamada Shoji, Shinsaku moved with his family to Mashiko, Tochigi Prefecture when he was only several months old. It was here that he developed an interest in pottery, and it was in junior high school that he committed himself to carrying on his father’s legacy by becoming a pottery. Around 1950, at the same time as when he graduated from university, Hamada began his own training in pottery in his father’s workshop. In 1963, he served as an assistant to his father and Bernard Leach as they toured America giving (more…)

Fujiwara Yu 藤原雄

1932-2001malebizen potteryliving national treasureBorn as the eldest son of Living National Treasure for bizen ware Fujiwara Kei, after graduating from university, Fujiwara worked for a time as a magazine editor, but was convinced by his father and Oyama Fujio to return home where he began his tutelage in ceramics under his father.After this, Fujiwara went on to produce work after work, presenting them in exhibitions by Japan kogei association, the Gendai Nihon Togei, and the Issuikai, eventually becoming a member of the latter in 1960, and becoming a regular member of Japan kogei association the following year.Fujiwara won the grand (more…)

Fujiwara Kei 藤原啓

1899-1983malebizen potteryliving national treasureStarting out with a passion for literatary studies, Fujiwara began submitting haiku and poems throughout his elementary and junior high school years to various publications and winning awards for some of his submissions. Leaving for Tokyo at the age of 19, he began working as an editor for Hakubunkan while also attending university and was producing poems under the pen name Fujiwara Keiji. However, due to poor health, he abandoned his aspirations of becoming a writer of literature and returned to his hometown in 1973.After returning home, Fujiwara began to practice pottery at the suggestion of Manyoshu (more…)

Fujimoto Yoshimichi 藤本能道

1919-1992maleliving national treasureAfter graduating from art school ad being admitted to the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology’s industrial arts engineering training center, Fujimoto entered into an apprenticeship under Kato Hajime, and began producing works alongside Tomimoto Kenkichi as his pottery assistant in 1938.Fujimoto won the Kofukaiten Kofukai Kogeisho Award in 1938, and after World War II exhibited works primarily in the various exhibitions held by the Japan Ceramics Society. Fujimoto won an award from the society as well as the silver prize from the International Academy of Ceramics in Geneva in 1956. Furthermore, though Fujimoto for a (more…)

Bernard Leach

1887-1979maleAfter losing his mother as a baby, Leach spent his early childhood in Kyoto raised by his father, a Japanese resident.He later returned to England, but came back to Japan in 1909 aged 21. Connecting with writers and artists from the Shirakaba Group, he was especially friendly with Yanagi Soetsu, and became captivated by ceramics. He began studying ceramics under Ogata Kenzan the 6th, producing Raku ware and so on.He endeavored in pottery techniques at Hamada Shoji’s Mashiko kiln base, became acquainted with Kawai Kanjiro and participated with him in Yanagi’s mingei movement. In 1920 he returned to England accompanied (more…)

Taizan Yohei 帯山与兵衛

early Edo priodo-1895malekyo potteryThe kiln was first opened in 1673-1681 by Takahashi Tokuro from Omi Province under the name of Taizan Yohei in Awatayama, Kyoto, and the kiln was continued until the ninth generation of the family in middle of the Meiji period.During the second, third, and fourth generations, he produced matcha bowls, drinking vessels, and other wares and protected the family business well.During the era of the 5th Yohee, he established the technique of celadon porcelain in the Bunka period (1804-1818). And during the Tenpo period (1830-1843), the 6th generation began to produce painted porcelain and developed works by (more…)

Takemoto Hayata 竹本隼太

1848-1892maleBorn into a family of hatamoto that served the Tokugawa shogunate for generations, he was active in national affairs at the end of the Edo period, but lost his job after the restoration of the Meiji government.After the Meiji Restoration, he began to make pottery under the name of Gansuien, inspired by his father’s hobbies of ceramics and bonsai and by his acquaintance with the Seto potter, Inoue Ryosai. He played a pioneering role in modern craftsmanship by perfecting the method of firing using press moulds and was awarded the Kamon award at the first National Industrial Exhibition in 1877 (more…)

Takugen Yasuke 啄元弥介

1747-1830maleraku potteryAfter the death of the 9th Ryosai, who was a cabinetmaker for Omotesenke School.Although the style of his work is Raku style, he is said to have excelled in the technique of Akaraku ware.Takku retired from the pottery business around 1825 and called Takugen The pottery business was handed over to the second generation he but continued to produce pottery.The 2nd Takugen was also engaged in Ryosai’s Kairakuen Pottery business and received the seal of “Kyuraku” from the Tokugawa family. (more…)

Tanaka Haseki 田中巴石

1855-1919maleokayama korakuen potteryAfter training in pottery making techniques at Mushiake-gama-kiln and Ako-yaki-gama-kilns in Okayama Prefecture, he opened a kiln under the name Zanmuken in the ruins of an old Korakuen kiln in 1907, and revived Korakuen ware by producing works in the style of Raku ware. (more…)

Nishibu Isao 西部功

1948-maleBorn in Mugi Town. Studied in the United States for two years from 1968. After graduating from the graduate school of Utsunomiya University in 1957, he studied pottery under the advice of Oka Naofumi. In 1979, he established the Katsura-gama kiln and became an independent potter. Selected for the Asahi Ceramic Art Exhibition, the Chunichi International Ceramic Art Exhibition, and others. (more…)

Nishizaka Shunsui 西坂春水

1919-?malebizen potteryHis real name is Tsuyoshi. He was born in Osafune-cho and worked for a local agricultural cooperative after the war. In 1976 he established his own kiln in his birth town. (more…)

Nishikawa Minoru 西川實

1929-malekyo potteryGraduated from Kyoto Daini Institute of Technology. Studied under Kusube Yaichi and Kano Mitsuo. Accepted for the first time at the Nitten in 1948. Since then, he has been awarded the Special Prize and the Hokuto Prize, the Kikka Prize, and became, and a member of the jury. Established Fukakusa-gama in 1950. Awarded the first prize at the Asahi Ceramic Art Exhibition. A member prize of the Modern Craft Exhibition, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs Prize. Awarded the Tokyo Governor’s Prize at the Japan New Craft Exhibition, and served as a board member of the Nisshin Kogyo Association. (more…)

Nishioka Koju 西岡小十

1917-2006malekaratsu potteryFrom 1953 he engaged in the study of ancient kilns used for Karatsu ware for 18 years. In 1971 he studied under Koyama Fujio and opened his own waritake climbing kiln, Kojiro kiln; in 1981, under the guidance of Arazawa Toyozo, he opened Koju kiln. In 1999 he opened Kaga Karatsu Tatsunokuchi Kiln in Ishikawa prefecture.After holding the exhibition “Kojiro Kiln Trio” at Gallery Dojima in 1996, he continued to hold solo exhibitions at the same gallery every year until his death in 2006; in that time he also held his “80th Birthday Exhibition” at the Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi in (more…)

Nakamura Makoto 中村真

1949-malebizen potteryUnder the tutelage of his father Rokuro. Graduated from Bizen High School. Started working on pottery from 1971. Learned firing under Kaneshige Michiaki. Built his first kiln in 1977, and had an attention-drawing solo exhibition at Kuroda Pottery in Ginza. (more…)