Kutani Ware Flat Vase Shion Yuri Ginsai Flower Motif of Spring and Autumn / Nakada Kazuo (Living National Treasure)

Flat Vase Shion Yuri Ginsai Flower Motif of Spring and Autumn — A Silver Poem Housing Two Seasons, Spring and Autumn

On the rounded body of a flat-shaped vase cloaked in a gentle wisteria-purple glaze, silver-leaf cherry blossoms and dianthus flowers softly surface. The silver light shimmers as if radiating from beneath the glaze, allowing two seasons—spring and autumn—to coexist within a single vessel in quiet harmony.

In this piece, Nakada utilizes his independently developed technique of "Yuri Ginsai" (silver leaf underglaze).

Cutting and applying silver leaf directly onto the clay body, covering it with transparent glaze, and firing it—silver, once considered an "unmanageable material" in the world of ceramic arts, was fused with porcelain expression as the culmination of Nakada's research. The glaze prevents oxidation of the silver while sealing in a luminous depth. His unique combinations of colored glazes—such as "pale blue glaze" and "pale sakura glaze"—with silver leaf have earned international acclaim from experts, with works housed in the permanent collection of the Smithsonian Institution's Sackler Gallery in Washington, D.C.

The color tone suitable to be called "Shion" (aster purple) in this work—a glazed texture sinking into the space between wisteria and blue—quietly yet certainly showcases Nakada's colored glaze technique at its finest. Silver-leaf petals of cherry blossoms and dianthus, as well as small birds resting on tree branches, faintly emerge from within the haze of glaze. Spring cherry blossoms and autumn dianthus: the "Flower Motif of Spring and Autumn," housing the passing of seasons within one vessel, embodies the very core of Japanese aesthetics—the concept of "transience" (utsuroi).

The form of the flat vase also supports the poetic sentiment of this artwork. A smooth contour approaching an oval shape when viewed from the front, and a flattened shape with modest depth relative to width when viewed from above—this asymmetrical tension lends tranquility and nobility to the vessel, presenting a beautiful presence from every angle.

This piece is a unique, one-of-a-kind item entrusted directly to our store by the artist himself, unavailable at any other retailer. Following his designation as a Living National Treasure, works by Nakada Kazuo have become extremely rare, making the opportunity to acquire a masterwork in such condition exceedingly scarce.

Title of Work: Flat Vase Shion Yuri Ginsai Flower Motif of Spring and Autumn
Dimensions: W 20.5 × D 19.5 × H 24 cm
Box Type: Wooden box with cord (Kiribako)