Original Wooden Box
D10.5cm×13cm H19.5cm
An impressive flat vessel (henko) by Kawai Kanjiro, a pivotal master of the Mingei movement renowned for his architectural forms and expressive glazes.
This piece features a bold, square-based faceted structure with heavy lines, conveying a dignified and almost architectural presence. Set against the soft texture of the white-glazed surface, fluid grass motifs are painted with emotional depth using Kanjiro’s signature spontaneous brushwork in deep shinsha (copper red).
The lustrous iron glaze encasing both the mouth and the base firmly frames the composition, perfectly harmonizing the dynamic brushwork with the clean-cut geometry to showcase the true essence of Kanjiro's artistry.
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