With original wooden box (tomobako)
Showa period
Dimensions: 14 × 11 cm (diameter) / Height: 20.8 cm
This “Hana Henko” was created by Kawai Kanjiro (1890–1966), one of Japan’s most celebrated ceramic artists and a central figure of the Mingei (Folk Craft) Movement. The vessel features a softly rounded form accented by bold and spontaneous brushwork in gosu (cobalt), cinnabar, and iron pigment. The dynamic yet graceful motifs on the body convey Kawai’s characteristic warmth and sense of movement. Iron glaze is applied to both the upper and lower sections, adding balance and definition to the overall shape. The piece embodies Kawai’s exceptional aesthetic, where simplicity and refinement coexist in perfect harmony.
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.
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