With original wooden box
Showa – Heisei period
Living National Treasure
D11cm×9cm H20.5cm
An extraordinary square vase by Kato Takuo, a Living National Treasure renowned for successfully reviving the lost ancient Persian technique of lusterware (ruster-sai).
This piece features a sharp, four-sided columnar form decorated with intricate Persian-inspired iconography. Set within elegant medallion frames are a stylized Persian maiden (koki) and a graceful deer, surrounded by lush vine arabesque patterns.
The distinctive iridescent metallic sheen of the luster glaze creates a mysterious depth on the surface, beautifully complemented by small turquoise-blue handles (mimi) on the neck. It is a masterpiece that seamlessly bridges ancient Silk Road aesthetics with modern ceramic artistry.
Takuo KATO
1917 - 2005
Takuo was a leading figure in the restoration of Persian lusterware ceramics that had disappeared around the 16th to 17th centuries and also in the restoration of three-color glaze ceramics, the oldest Japanese pottery technique, developed in the Nara Period (710-794). Born into a family of pottery masters dating back to the late Edo Period (1603-1867), Takuo began studying ceramic art at a very young age under his father, Kato Kobe, the fifth heir of the grand pottery master of Mino ware. Takuo distinguished himself as a leading expert in ancient pottery restoration techniques by successfully restoring Persian lusterware in the early 1980s after some 20 years of studies. His achievements brought him numerous art awards. He was named a Living National Treasure in 1995.
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