This white-glazed bowl is created by Hikaru Yamada, a master who founded the avant-garde ceramic group "Sodeisha" in 1948 alongside Kazuo Yagi and Osamu Suzuki, overturning the conventional concept of ceramics bound by "utility" and establishing a monumental peak in Japanese avant-garde ceramics (objet pottery). While establishing international acclaim for his objet creations as pure sculptural forms, Yamada also founded "Mon Kobo" in 1962 with Kazuo Yagi and others, launching practical craft works that fused refined modernist design with artisan craftsmanship. The lid of the included original wooden box (Tomobako) bears the artist's handwritten inscription "White Glaze Bowl" (Hakuyu Hachi), and on the bottom of the piece, the stamp "Hi" (ひ) indicating an authentic work by Hikaru Yamada can be confirmed. Produced between the 1960s and 1970s—a period when Sodeisha's activities deepened most significantly after the founding of Mon Kobo in 1962—this piece is identified as an outstanding work in which sculptural beauty and practicality harmonize at a high level.
What is most highly acclaimed in Hikaru Yamada's ceramic art is his intellectual structural thinking utilizing geometric plane compositions, openings, and cutouts, as well as the smooth, serene texture of his white glaze. Examining the design of this piece, while the overall silhouette of the vessel assumes a gentle roundness, sharp and precise cutouts are executed along the rim together with regular wavelike curves. These cutouts clearly articulate a Sodeisha aesthetic that deconstructs and reconstructs the boundaries of traditional bowls. The white glaze covering the surface exhibits a moist, matte, milky-white glaze quality, creating extremely delicate shadows on the body depending on how the light falls upon it.
A particular highlight of this vessel is the relief-like spiral decoration applied to the center of the interior bottom (Mikomi). The subtle concavities and convexities that smoothly swirl from the center impart visual rhythm and dynamism to the quiet white glaze texture. The form, which gracefully tapers toward the foot, and its commanding sense of scale—measuring approximately 9.5 cm in height and approximately 17.0 cm in width—go beyond mere appreciation value as an artwork, perfectly fulfilling the function of an exceptionally high-quality ice bowl in modern dining and contemporary spaces.
Filled with large ice blocks and arranged with bottles of aged amber vintage sake, vintage whiskey, or chilled Japanese sake, the glitter and chill of the ice reflect beautifully on the spiral decoration of the interior bottom, drawing a magnificent contrast with the serene white-glazed body. As a precious authentic work by one of the most important artists in the history of Japanese ceramics, whose works are housed in the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo, the National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto, and the Centre Pompidou in Paris, we propose this piece not only as a tea utensil or ice bowl, but also as a supreme liquor vessel and craft work where one can experience sculptural beauty as modern art with all five senses.
- Artist: Hikaru Yamada (1923-2001)
- Representative Career Highlights: [1948] Founded the avant-garde ceramic art group "Sodeisha" alongside Kazuo Yagi, Osamu Suzuki, and others; [1962] Established "Mon Kobo" to pursue modern design in living spaces; [1970s] Received the Japan Ceramic Society Award (later also received the Gold Prize); [1990s] Received the Kyoto Art and Culture Award, and was honored as a Person of Cultural Merit by Kyoto City.
- Public Collections: The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo; The National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto; The Museum of Modern Ceramic Art, Shigaraki (Shigaraki Ceramic Cultural Park); Kyoto City KYOCERA Museum of Art, etc.
- Production Period: 1960s-1970s (Estimated)
- Item Condition: Very Good (No chips, no cracks)
- Accessories: Dedicated original wooden box (Tomobako) included
- Material: Ceramics (White glaze)
- Dimensions: Height approx. 9.5 cm, Width approx. 17.0 cm
- Note: Even if the products provided by our shop are unused, they were produced a very long time ago and are all listed as pre-owned items. Please understand and confirm that the item may have age-related wear before considering your purchase.
