Kanjiro KAWAI “White-Glazed Pedestal Dish”
with Signed Box by Koha KAWAI ( Kanjiro's daughter )
D19.4cm×19.4cm H9.5cm
This elegant white-glazed pedestal dish is a work by Kanjirō Kawai, a central figure of the Mingei (folk craft) movement and one of Japan's most influential modern ceramic artists. With its serene white glaze and striking form, the piece beautifully reflects Kawai’s unique blend of traditional aesthetics and modern sensibility.
The pierced design on the base is both decorative and functional, creating a captivating interplay of light and shadow when displayed. Traditionally used to serve food or sweets, the pedestal form also makes it a distinguished decorative object in its own right.
The piece is accompanied by a signed wooden box (kiribako) authenticated by Kohyo Kawai, the daughter of the artist, attesting to its provenance and authenticity.
A similar work is featured in the exhibition catalogue Kawakatsu Collection: Shokei Kiln – Potter Kanjirō Kawai, published by The National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto, highlighting its close relation to significant works in museum collections.
Kanjiro KAWAI
1890 - 1966
Kanjirou Kawai was a Kyoto-based potter within the folk tradition of Japanese and Korean ceramics and a key figure in Mingei (Japanese folk art movement). He was a long-time friend of Shōji Hamada, Soetsu Yanagi, and Bernard Leach with whom he co-founded the Japan Folk Art Association in 1926. He refused all official honors, such as the designation of “Living National Treasures,” He often decorated his works with bold, semiabstract blossom motifs, which he painted freely in under-glaze cobalt blue, iron brown, and copper red.
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