With original wooden box
Shōwa period
Designated Living National Treasure
Diameter: 7.8 × 7 cm / Height: 5 cm
This charming small ceramic box was created by KōichiTamura, a Living National Treasure renowned for his ironpainted decorations. A balloon flower (hotarubukuro) is boldly drawn on a whiteglazed surface, its lively presence belying the box’s petite size. The balloon flower is a wild blossom known for its lanternlike form, and here, Tamura captures its grace and vitality with his keen sensitivity to nature. Ideal for use as an incense container or decorative storage box.
Koichi TAMURA
1918 - 1987
Tamura Kōichi, throughout his long career, demonstrated a mastery of wheel throwing, glazing and firing techniques. Since childhood, he showed a talent for drawing and assisted his father, a third generation doll maker. It was a seminal visit to the mingei (folk art) potters Hamada Shōji and Sakuma Tōtarō in nearby Mashiko that drew him to the field of ceramics. Initially his works showed the influence of Hamada, but quickly he became known for iron-glazed works that featured reddish-brown, persimmon glazed wax-resist designs against a black ground. A further innovation was his application of brushed white hakeme glaze beneath his iron-oxide patterning. Later on, he further augmented these designs with copper red and lastly experimented with a celadon green glaze ground. His work is characterized by strong brushwork and lyrical, asymmetrical designs. He was designated in 1986 as the National Living Treasure for tetsu-e techniques (iron-glazed patterned ceramics).
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