Japanese Pottery Vase by Shibuta Toshiaki for Bizen

A beautiful Bizen pottery vase by artist Shibuta Toshiaki, in the shape of a flattened sphere with a triangular opening at the top, sliced cleanly with a confident gesture. A beautiful gradation from brown to orange-red. The surface is highly textured and strongly reminiscent of a planet’s surface. The color rendering of this vase varies enormously according to the ambient light, sometimes flamboyant, sometimes dark, and it’s impossible not to see in it the symbol of Yin and Yang. Shibuta Toshiaki was born in Hyogo, Japan, in 1957. He began working in Bizen in 1983, and has won several awards, notably at the Tanabe Art Museum’s exhibitions dedicated to the Japanese tea ceremony. He took part in the construction of an Anagama kiln in France at the Ecomusée La Tuilerie de Pouligny, where he taught the age-old techniques of unglazed firing. Bizen pottery in Japan, produced from the Kamakura period (1185-1338) onwards, is characterized by its reddish-brown color and the ash deposit covering it, reminiscent of goma or sesame seeds. Later, they became very popular for their superb clay quality, modest appearance, strength and ability to preserve water quality. During the Momoyama period (1573-1600), a gigantic kiln 50m long by 5m wide was erected in Bizen, and it was during this period that the masterpieces of tea ceremony pottery were created. Bizen pottery pieces are fired unglazed in a pinewood kiln for periods of 8 to 20 days. When the temperature reaches 1250°C, pinewood ash falls on the pieces, covering them with a natural glaze in different shades for each piece. Those fired under optimum conditions have a robust, heavy appearance, with a natural texture and an understated elegance. Bizen pottery is said to be modest and unassuming yet full of refinement, in the image of Japan. Bizen is located in Okayama prefecture, and the clay harvested from the commune’s rice fields is of excellent quality, enabling potters to create exceptional works.