26075 HAYAMA Yuki Shosoin Phoenix and Beast Design Vase (Solo Exhibition Work, Design Commentary Included (Framed))

Height 25.5cm
Diameter 25.0cm


Yuki Hayama is a renowned contemporary ceramic artist whose intricately painted works surpass all others in the field of contemporary ceramics, and who expresses with meticulous detail a unique interpretation of the fantastical worlds that originate in ancient civilizations of both the East and the West. His designs, constructed with exquisitely detailed blue and white porcelain and gold leaf, are truly gorgeous and alluring. They are superhuman designs, created with total concentration on the fingertips. Yuki Hayama's creations require unimaginable mental strength and skill, making them increasingly valuable.

Characteristics of the work
This piece is inspired by the fruits of cultural exchange between East and West, preserved in the Shosoin Repository, the eastern terminus of the Silk Road. The beautiful arabesque, a design that combines the arabesque pattern introduced from faraway Greece with the uniquely Japanese beautiful arabesque pattern, features a phoenix, a symbol of fertility, and a divine beast of auspiciousness, dancing within, creating a stunning fusion of Eastern and Western beauty.

Plant and arabesque patterns
This piece uses "Biru Karakusa," a combination of arabesque and the uniquely Japanese Biru pattern. Shosoin patterns often use plant motifs such as arabesque and karahana, and are characterized by the beauty of their curves.

Divine Beasts and Phoenixes
It depicts a phoenix and other auspicious divine beasts. Shosoin patterns include the lion motif, which is based on the lion, the king of animals, and the phoenix, an imaginary sacred bird. These patterns have been popular since ancient times as symbols of strength, fertility, and happiness.

East-West Fusion Design
Many of the treasures in Shosoin have origins in the Mediterranean world and Western Asia, and many of them feature international patterns that were introduced to Japan via the Tang dynasty in the 8th century. Hayama Yuki's work also incorporates design elements that fuse these Eastern and Western cultures.