Original Wooden Box
Diameter: 38 cm Height: 7.6 cm
A large dish by ceramic artist Kenji Funamaki of Izumo, Shimane Prefecture, enveloped in a warm, lustrous amber-gold glaze with a snake (mi) depicted at its center. The serpent motif, rendered in deep dark brown, is scattered with fine yellow dots, creating a design that is both mysterious and full of vitality. A decorative pattern also runs along the rim, lending the piece an overall air of elegance and dignity. A remarkable work that carries on the spirit of the Mingei folk art tradition while establishing a distinctly personal aesthetic.
Kenji FUNAKI
1927 - 2015
Born into the Funaki family, a 170-year-old Nushina-yaki potter from the Edo period. He studied under Shoji Hamada and later received the Japan Folk Crafts Museum Award, the Contemporary Japanese Ceramic Art Exhibition, and the Salon du Printemps Scholarship Award. In 1953, he was invited by the Ryukyu government to Ryukyu to make pottery. He trained at a kiln in Bernard Leach. He was fascinated by slipware, which was popular in England during the 17th and 18th centuries, and adopted this technique in earnest. After returning to Japan, he exhibited his work at various exhibitions and won awards.
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