Box by Koha KAWAI
Mouth Diameter 5cm, Body Diameter 19cm x 9cm, Height 14.5cm
This is a "Shiroji-Tetsuyu Hishikamon Hentsubo" (White Ground, Iron Glaze, Diamond-Shaped Floral Motif, Flat Jar) by Kanjiro Kawai (1890-1966), a leading figure of the Mingei (Folk Craft) movement and one of Japan's most celebrated potters. The simple and warm beauty he pursued breathed a modern sensibility into traditional Japanese ceramics.
As the name suggests, this piece has a unique, flattened rectangular shape. It is covered in a white glaze, upon which a bold pattern of diamond-shaped flowers is drawn with an iron glaze. The striking contrast between the white and iron glazes makes a strong impression on the viewer.
It can be used as a simple vase for a single flower or enjoyed as a beautiful decorative object on its own. Furthermore, the box bears an inscription by his daughter, Kouha Kawai, adding a special story to the background of this valuable piece.
Kanjiro KAWAI（河井寛次郎）
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.
Contact about the Item