This piece is a "Chrysanthemum Arabesque Pattern Stem Cup" by Seihou Samukawa II, who crafts ceramics at the Kishu Ware Aoi Kiln in Shirahama Town, Wakayama Prefecture. The tomobako (original wooden box) bears the handwritten title "Chrysanthemum Arabesque Pattern Stem Cup" and the signature "Kishu Ware Aoi Kiln Seihou II Zō" along with a red seal stamp. A shiori (leaflet) detailing the origins of the Aoi Kiln and the artist's career is also included. Featuring a deep cup portion resting on a tall stem, it is a generous cup measuring approximately 11 cm in diameter. Our shop proposes it as a Japanese-style Western liquor vessel for pouring vintage spirits to enjoy their aroma and color.
The Kishu Ware Aoi Kiln was founded by Seihou Samukawa I. According to official records of the Aoi Kiln, the first generation was born in Osaka in 1899 (Meiji 32) and soon moved to Kyoto. In 1919 (Taisho 8), he studied under Sozan Sawada, who served as a judge for the Teiten (Imperial Art Exhibition), and in 1927 (Showa 2), at his master's recommendation, he became the head of the Aichi Prefectural Ceramic Research Institute. In 1932 (Showa 7), he established a kiln in Odawara, Koyasan, Ito District, Wakayama Prefecture.
In 1937 (Showa 12), Marquis Yorisada Tokugawa, the 16th head of the Kishu Tokugawa family, entrusted him with the revival of Kishu ware and bestowed upon him the kiln name "Kishu Ware Aoi Kiln." According to the shiori, this was done out of a desire to revive historic Kishu kilns such as "Kairakuen," "Zuishi," and "Otokoyama."
The first generation subsequently focused on Nachi black stone, a specialty of Kishu, and in 1956 (Showa 31) completed a high-fired Nachi black glaze. This Nachi black glaze is described in the shiori as the black of "kase-kusuri" (matte/textured glaze). In 1962, he presented a matcha tea bowl to Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress, and in 1967 he moved to Katada, Shirahama Town, to build a climbing kiln (noborigama). In 1970, he was honored by the Agency for Cultural Affairs as a Person of Cultural Merit for Cultural Properties. In 1972, he held a solo exhibition at Nihombashi Mitsukoshi Main Store, received the Wakayama Prefecture Cultural Encouragement Award in the same year, and was designated as Shirahama Town's Intangible Cultural Property No. 1. In 1975, at the age of 77, he received the Order of the Sacred Treasure, Silver Rays, and passed away in the same year.
Seihou Samukawa II was born in 1946 (Showa 21) in Koyaguchi Town, Wakayama Prefecture. In 1965, at the age of 19, he studied under his father, the first generation, and in 1976 succeeded to the name Seihou II. In 1995, he relocated the climbing kiln from Katada, Shirahama Town, to Saino in the same town, and fired the first kiln at the new location the following year in 1996. He received the Wakayama Prefecture Cultural Promotion Governor’s Award in 2011 and the Shirahama Town Cultural Merit Mayor's Award in 2012. He serves as a judge for art exhibitions in Wakayama Prefecture, Wakayama City, and Tanabe City.
According to the shiori, the second generation has carried on the tradition of the Aoi Kiln in accordance with the motto, "There is no path that enlivens me other than this path." It is noted that in addition to yakishime (un-glazed stoneware) made with Kishu's unique ceramic clay, he has created works such as "Beni-shio" (red tide), "Celadon," "Persimmon Tenmoku," and "Yōhen" (kiln-change glaze), earning the attention of masters of various tea schools. The Nachi black glaze inherited from the first generation remains widely recognized today as the synonym for the Aoi Kiln. Among the second generation's Nachi black tea bowls, examples accompanied by inscriptions by Master Hōunsai, the 15th Grand Master of the Urasenke School, have also been confirmed.
This piece is not Nachi black glaze, but a work of underglaze cobalt with overglaze enamel, layering red and green overglaze enamels over underglaze cobalt blue. It can be said to represent another aspect of the Aoi Kiln: devoting effort to the reproduction and revival of defunct Kishu kilns.
The exterior of the cup portion features patterns arranged separately above and below. Below the rim, a spiral arabesque band drawn in gosu (underglaze cobalt blue) circles around, and the main pattern band below it unfolds with chrysanthemum arabesques as described in the box inscription. Radial petals are drawn in red overglaze enamel, with central swirling chrysanthemum blossoms placed at key points. Vines of underglaze cobalt extend lively between them, scattered with small red and green leaves and buds. The lower part of the cup portion features small underglaze cobalt motifs drawn inside panels framed with red lines.
The interior rim is also encircled by a pattern band featuring underglaze cobalt spiral motifs punctuated with red and green dots. In the center of the interior bowl, the single character "Chō" (Longevity) is written in underglaze cobalt.
On the stem portion, pointed petal-like motifs in red overglaze enamel are drawn layered in two tiers, with fine gosu lines applied inside them. The top and bottom are bound by green bands, and the splayed pedestal area is again encircled by underglaze cobalt arabesques and red lines. The gosu used throughout displays a finely granular coloration, leaving the movement of the brush stroke intact. The red and green overglaze enamels rise vividly and glossy, conveying the warmth unique to hand-painted work.
The interior of the stem is hollow and glazed, stamped with an oval seal. The resting edge (tatami-tsuki) of the stem is unglazed, and the raw clay shows a slight orange firing color.
The production period is estimated based on the tomobako and shiori. Since "Seihou II" is inscribed on the tomobako, the work dates from 1976 or later, when he succeeded to the second generation name. Furthermore, the kiln location noted in the shiori is "Katada, Shirahama Town," and the telephone number is "42-1093," which differs from the current location and number in Saino. The climbing kiln was relocated from Katada to Saino in 1995, and the first kiln firing at the new location took place in 1996. Based on these points, this piece is considered to have been made between around 1976 and 1996. However, since the shiori may have continued to be used for a period after the relocation, this remains an estimate.
Kishu Ware Aoi Kiln
The first generation Seihou worked with clay for over fifty years. In 1937 (Showa 12), receiving the wish to revive historic Kishu kilns such as "Kairakuen," "Zuishi," and "Otokoyama" from Marquis Yorisada Tokugawa, the former lord of the Kishu Domain, he was granted the kiln name "Kishu Ware Aoi Kiln." Following diligent research, he focused on "Nachi Black Stone," a specialty of Kishu, completed the high-fired black of "kase-kusuri," and gained the recognition of masters of various tea schools up to the present day. As Seihou II, true to the motto "There is no path that enlivens me other than this path," he inherits the tradition of the Aoi Kiln. In addition to creating "Yakishime" works using Kishu's unique ceramic clay that differ from other domestic products, he continues his devoted practice while creating "Beni-shio," "Celadon," "Persimmon Tenmoku," and Yōhen, gaining the attention of masters of various tea schools.
Kishu Ware Aoi Kiln Head Kiln Nanshian (Second Generation) Seihou Samukawa (Shiro)
- Artist: Seihou Samukawa II (Samukawa Seihou, 1946–)
- Major Career Highlights: [1965] Studied under Seihou Samukawa I (father); [1976] Succeeded to the name Seihou II; [1995] Relocated climbing kiln from Katada, Shirahama Town to Saino in the same town; [1996] First kiln firing at the new location; [2011] Wakayama Prefecture Cultural Promotion Governor’s Award; [2012] Shirahama Town Cultural Merit Mayor's Award; [Present] Judge for art exhibitions in Wakayama Prefecture, Wakayama City, and Tanabe City
- Museum Collections: No public institutional collection records have been confirmed
- Period of Production: c. 1976 to c. 1996 (estimated from the "Seihou II" signature on the tomobako and the kiln location in the shiori)
- Item Condition: Very good (no chips, no cracks)
- Accessories: Original tomobako (wooden box), shiori (leaflet) included
- Material: Ceramic / Porcelain (Underglaze cobalt, overglaze enamel)
- Dimensions: Height approx. 10.3 cm, Mouth diameter approx. 11.0 cm
- Note: All items offered by our shop, even if new and unused, were produced a very long time ago, and all are therefore listed as pre-owned. Items may show age-related wear or damage. Please understand and confirm this before considering a purchase.
