26127 Living National Treasure Shimizu Uichi, Horai Kakebun Red Clay Tea Bowl

Height 9.3cm
Diameter 13.6cm


He studied Chinese ceramics under Ishiguro Munemaro, a Living National Treasure for "Iron-Glazed Pottery." After serving as an apprentice at the Kyoto National Ceramic Testing Center, he served as an assistant in the Ceramics Department at the Kyoto Municipal Industrial Research Institute. He then devoted himself to ceramics, mainly working in his home pottery studio, and was recognized as a Living National Treasure for "Iron-Glazed Pottery" at the young age of 59, the youngest person ever to do so at the time.

This is a work by Shimizu Uichi, a world-renowned ceramic artist who in his later years moved his pottery studio to the foot of Mount Horai in Kosai, Shiga Prefecture, where he continued to be active.

This piece uses a technique called Akadosai, and you can sense Shimizu Uichi's passion for pottery, who preferred to use red glazes in his later years. His "Horai Kakebun Hana Chawan" tea bowl, created in 2002, is also in the collection of the National Museum of Art and is recognized for its artistic merit.

As the name "Sekidosai" suggests, its main ingredient is red clay. However, it is not just any red clay.

In 1970, Shimizu Uichi built a kiln at the foot of Mount Horai in Shiga Prefecture, and personally searched for and refined the local clay and stones to use as materials for his works. The red clay collected at the foot of Mount Horai is the basis for Akadosai.

Glaze components "Iron glaze" is a glaze that contains iron, and Shimizu Uichi used it skillfully. Akadosai is a type of iron glaze, and when used in combination with it, it creates his unique warmth and depth of color.

The appeal of Shimizu Uichi's red clay ware lies in the unique expressions that are created by applying various glazes to red clay. He has created one-of-a-kind pieces by incorporating the colors and textures of natural materials, as well as the randomness that arises from firing.