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Japanese Ceramics Gallery in Santa Fe Specializing in Traditional & Contemporary Pottery from Japan |
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Tadashi Nishihata Tanba Masterworks
Click to see Current show |
Japanese pottery
has evolved over
the centuries into a high art form admired the world over.
Historically, pottery plays a central role in the development of Japanese
art and culture. Since the Kamakura period (1183-1333), wood-fired pottery
from the six oldest historic Japanese pottery centers (Bizen, Echizen,
Tanba, Seto, Shigaraki, and Tokoname) has helped cultivate a unique
aesthetic appreciation that revered quiet understated beauty. Zen monks
were among the first to extol the virtue and beauty of simplicity and
austerity. By the Momoyama period (1573-1614), a unique aesthetic
sensibility was firmly established with the acceptance of simple ceramic
utensils for the Japanese tea ceremony by influential tea masters like
Sen-no-Rikyu. The Edo period (1615-1866) saw an exuberant explosion of
artistry at all levels of society, yet striving for quiet nobility and
restrained elegance remained the highest goal of artistic achievement.
Throughout this development, pottery embodied the essence of wabi sabi, an often misunderstood aesthetic sensibility that
has far-reaching influence on
contemporary art both in the east and the west. Today, ceramists in
these historic pottery centers continue their heritage, producing timeless
works of art using traditional materials and techniques refined through
many centuries of experience.
Touching Stone Gallery honors this rich heritage by showing significant bodies of work of some of the best contemporary ceramic artists from Japan. Concurrent with the exhibitions in our gallery, all the showpieces are viewable on our web site, bringing the works to international attention and offering a useful resource for collectors and artists worldwide. We also sponsor educational lectures and events through the Santa Fe-Japan Art and Culture Exchange Program to promote cross-cultural artistic interactions. |
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Scroll down to see Featured Artists |
News Flash: Read about Tadashi Ito's exhibitions in latest Ceramics Art & Perception magazine v.80. p.78 - 81, 2010. |
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Bizen Pottery The areas around Bizen next to the Inland Sea in the Okayama prefecture have been producing some of the most beautiful traditional ceramics since the 12th century. Bizen ceramic wares are prized for their warm reddish brown colors and restrained understated beauty. Bizen ceramics are typically fired at high temperature - over 1100oC, and often have distinctive red or black fire marks. Each piece of Bizen pottery has a unique personality, making it highly collectible. Bizen pottery is said to remind us of our singular existence shaped by fate and circumstances. |
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Click on image to view featured Bizen pottery. Call (505) 988-8072 for information/order. See inquiry/order |
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Hiroyuki Wakimoto Wood-fired Vase Form No. 10 7"h x 5" x 3.5"
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Hiroyuki Wakimoto Wood-fired Vase Form No.4 8"h x 8.5" x 8.5"
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George Yamashita Dancer No. 2 w/ Goma firemarks 13"h x 6" x 6"
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Tanba* Pottery Nestled in a beautiful valley between Shitodani and Muko rivers below the Kokuzou mountain in Hyogo prefecture west of Kyoto is the village Tachikui, another ancient center that produces Tanba pottery. Historic earth-tone Tanba wares were originally designed for storage and daily use, and had an unpretentious grace. Today, the areas around this rather remote locale are homes of many potters who continue to make excellent traditional Tanba wares as well as contemporary designs. [*Note: Tanba is a phonetic translation of two Japanese characters: 丹 'Tan' (meaning red) and 波 'Ba' (meaning waves). Tanba - Land of Red Waves - got its name from a type of red rice grown in ancient time which turned the fields into seas of red around harvest times. The name is often written as Tamba, which corrupts its pronunciation and meaning. Tanba, translated according to revised Hepburn romanization, better reflects the origin of the name.] |
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Click on image to view featured Tanba pottery. Call (505) 988-8072 for information/order. See inquiry/order |
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Kiyoharu Ichino Wood-fired Vase No.5 14" x 5.5" x 7.5"h Sold
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Tadashi Nishihata Wood-fired Vase No.5 w/ Fire change finish 18"h x 11" x 11"
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Keiichi Shimizu Vase Form No. 32 Ceramic w/ 'white clay' decoration 5.5"h x 6" x 6"
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Shigaraki & Iga Pottery Shigaraki, an old pottery center in the mountains, produces an excellent clay with relatively low iron content. Shigaraki pottery is traditionally fired without glaze in wood-fueled kilns. At one time, this area produced some of the most beautiful and revered ceramics in Japan. Today, the town is flooded with mass-produced utility grade pieces and ceramic reproductions of a raccoon-like creature called Tanuki, popular as a decoration in many Japanese shops. Good pieces by contemporary potters who continue the great Shigaraki tradition are much sought after. Located south of Shigaraki, Iga is another old pottery center with a pottery tradition dating back at least 1,200 years. During the Momoyama period (1573-1600), Iga was synonymous with some of the most revered tea ceremony ware in Japan. Today, there are fewer than several dozen active potters in Iga. One of the most notable contemporary Iga ceramists is Yoshitaka Hasu, who is taking the ancient tradition to new levels. |
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Click on image to view featured Shigaraki pottery. Call (505) 988-8072 for information/order. See inquiry/order |
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Yoshitaka Hasu Fire-changed ceramic vase No.1 11.5" x 10" x 9.5"
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Akira Hattori Uzukumaru Vase 4.75"H x 5"D Sold
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Futoshi Hattori Tokkuri Vase 7.75"H x 3.25"D Sold
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Echizen Pottery The picturesque areas in Fukui prefecture overlooking the Japan Sea produce another distinctive warm-tone ceramic style known as Echizen. One can find remnants of ancient noborigama (climbing kilns) and pottery shards hundreds of years old littering the countryside here. Echizen ceramics are typically fired at high temperature to a deep shade of brown, with distinctive and often intense fire markings that contrast with their overall subdued colors. A number of highly innovative potters work in this area. |
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Click on image to view featured Echizen pottery. Call (505) 988-8072 for information/order. See inquiry/order |
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Reiko Kakiuchi-Cohen Vase Form No. 21 7"H x 8" x 5" Sold
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Reiko Kakiuchi-Cohen Vase Form No. 39 w/ hand-forged wrought iron stand 10.5"w x 1.5"d x 11"h
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Yoshiro Maeda Echizen ash-glaze jar 9.25"H x9" x9" Sold w/ signed wooden box
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Seto Pottery Seto is the only historic pottery center that made glazed ceramics during the Heian Period. Seven types of glaze have been developed (Kiseto, Koseto, Shino, Oribe, Kaiyu, Tetsuyu, and Ofuke), each with its own distinct aesthetics. For example, Kiseto (yellow Seto) is famous for its delicate greenish yellow finish that accentuates the typically thin-walled ceramics. Oribe is characterized by intricate colorful geometric patterns, whereas Shino wares are tastefully decorated with simple drawings reminiscent of haiga (Zen paintings that accompany haiku). The areas around Seto are homes of numerous artists, who produce a rich variety of both traditional and contemporary works. A notable example is the extraordinary work by Moriyuki Ando featured here. |
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Click on image to view featured Seto pottery. Call (505) 988-8072 for information/order. See inquiry/order |
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Shukai Kagami Ki-Seto Tea Bowl 3.25"H x5" x4.5" Sold
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Moriyuki Ando Ceramic box No.6 w/ Haiyu Kairagi glaze 5"w x 5"d x 5"h Sold
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Masaru Kamei 3 vases w/ black iron glaze (All Sold) 5.75" x 3.75"D w/ signed wooden boxes
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Contemporary Japanese Pottery In addition to works from the historical pottery centers, Touching Stone Gallery shows outstanding works by contemporary artists who explore new frontiers in Japanese ceramics. Their works are conceptually sophisticated, highly evolved beyond traditions, and typically driven by ideas. |
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Click on image to view featured contemporary pottery. Call (505) 988-8072 for information/order. See inquiry/order |
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Hiromi Okumura Metaphor No. 13 Aka-e ceramic form 6.5" x 9.5" x 6"
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Mori Tadashi Enlightenment #15 from Enku show Ceramic sculpture 12" x 7.5" x 4.5"
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Yoko Terai Swimmer #27 4.5"h x 9.5" x 7"
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Quintessence II No. 3 Ceramic vase form 9.5" x 8.5" x 6"
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Yukiya Izumita Dune Ceramic form No.4 16" x12" x6" See show Sold
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