Original signed wooden box (Tomobako)
Showa – Heisei eras
Living National Treasure
Dimensions: Rim Diameter 9.5 cm | Body Diameter 17.5 cm | Height 25.5 cm
This masterpiece, where power and tranquility coexist, was created by Uichi Shimizu, a designated Living National Treasure and holder of the Important Intangible Cultural Property for "Iron-Glazed Ceramics."
A Unique Expression: The piece is characterized by the artist’s signature Hakuryu (white flow) technique, where a vibrant, life-filled white glaze is elegantly draped over a deep, lustrous Tetsuyo (iron glaze) surface.
Striking Contrast: The interplay between the metallic, shimmering black and the snow-pure white reveals shifting expressions and depths depending on the angle of the light.
Stately Form: Its heavy, grounded presence and sophisticated silhouette bring a sense of high-ranking dignity and refinement to any space.
This superb work encapsulates Uichi Shimizu’s exceptional technical mastery and his unique aesthetic, which seems to condense the raw, primordial energy of nature itself.
Uichi SHIMIZU
1926 - 2004
Born in Kyoto in 1926, Shimizu Uichi was one of the foremost Kyoto-based artists of his time. Having studied under Living National Treasure Ishiguro Munemaro (1893-1968), one of the earliest proponents of Chinese-style ceramics, Shimizu often experimented in recreating historical Chinese-style wares, especially those with iron-glaze. In 1970, he left Kyoto and headed to the western shore of Lake Biwa in Shiga Prefecture in order to build his own noborigama (climbing kiln). After establishing the kiln, which he named Horai-yo, Shimizu began firing craquelure celadon glazed works. Throughout his career Shimizu accomplished many technical and artistic achievements, especially with celadon and iron-glazed works. He was appointed a Living National Treasure in 1985 for his application of tetsu-yu (iron glaze).
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