This is a green-glazed porcelain flat plate (decorative plate / confectionery plate) created by Fujio Kitade (1919–2014), a master who led the modern Kutani ceramic art world as a Nitten Councillor and Professor/Professor Emeritus at Kanazawa College of Art, succeeding his father, Tojiro Kitade III (three-time Nitten Special Award winner and Professor at Kanazawa College of Art), at a famous kiln in Kaga City, Ishikawa Prefecture, named "Seisen-gama" by Living National Treasure Kenkichi Tomimoto when he stayed there for over a year to research Kutani overglaze enamelling. Under the tradition of Seisen-gama, founded in the mountain gorge of Enuma District, Kaga, by the first generation Yomon in the first year of the Meiji era (recorded in Dr. Yokokawa's "Japanese Folk Kilns") and inherited through the second generation Kamekichi, Mr. Kitade mastered advanced ceramic techniques from Ishikawa Prefectural Technical School to the Kyoto National Ceramic Experimental Station and, after military service, Kanazawa College of Arts and Crafts (now Kanazawa College of Art). While preserving the "fresh scent" inherent in Ko-Kutani (Old Kutani), he developed modern and experimental overglaze enamelled porcelain that rejected external unoriginal trends. This work by Mr. Kitade, whose works are housed in institutions such as The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo, the Ishikawa Prefectural Museum of Art, and the Kaga City Museum of Art, features the handwritten inscription "Decorative Plate with Pampas Grass and Bamboo Design in Green Glaze" on the outer lid and the artist's seal on the inner lid of the accompanying dedicated paulownia box (tomobako). It can be identified as an authentic work produced between the 1960s and early 1970s (Showa 40s), a period corresponding to his active tenure as a professor at Kanazawa College of Art and the maturity of his technique.
The greatest highlight of this work lies in the beauty of its "Ryokusai" (green glaze), woven by vivid emerald green (turquoise blue) and deep black enamels, alongside its exceptionally refined modern compositional beauty. Across the surface of the plate, the motifs of pampas grass (susuki) and bamboo—traditional Japanese seasonal elements—are abstractly reconstructed and depicted using sharp straight lines and geometric planar compositions. The contrast between the transparent, beautiful green glaze gradation and the black underlayer and line drawings embodies a unique worldview distinctive to Mr. Kitade, who inherited Kenkichi Tomimoto's aesthetic principle of "never creating patterns from existing patterns". Furthermore, delicate red and green lines circle around the rim of the vessel, while on the reverse side beside the foot ring, a concentric ring in deep cobalt blue glaze is drawn, and a circular mark "Fuji" (不二) is stamped in green glaze inside the foot ring. Note that the mark on part of the plate's rim that appears to be a scratch is a traditional kiln flaw (kama-kizu) generated during firing in the climbing kiln, and is not damage or defect caused after the work's completion.
Measuring approx. 3.5 cm in height and approx. 17.5 cm in diameter—a convenient and versatile size—our shop proposes this work, tailored to modern refined lifestyles and fine spirits culture, as a dignified "Japanese craft culinary dish" to complement Japanese and Western small dishes, fruits, cheeses, and prosciutto enjoyed alongside whiskey, aged sake, or matured Japanese liquor. The modern coloration emitted by the green glaze and the depth of the abstract design beautifully highlight the colors of served dishes and fruits, elegantly enhancing special dining or evening drinking occasions. A masterpiece in which the tradition of the historic Seisen-gama Kiln and the highest peak of modern Kutani sculptural beauty coalesce, this work allows one to relish the true essence of Japanese craft beauty through both visual appreciation and practical use.
- Artist: Fujio Kitade (1919–2014)
- Artist's Representative Career Highlights: Completed Kyoto National Ceramic Experimental Station; graduated from Kanazawa College of Arts and Crafts (now Kanazawa College of Art). Winner of Nitten Special Award, Nitten Councillor and Trustee; recipient of Minister of Education Award at Japan Contemporary Arts and Crafts Exhibition; Professor and Professor Emeritus at Kanazawa College of Art; Cultural Property Committee Member for Kaga City.
- Museum Collections: The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo; Ishikawa Prefectural Museum of Art; Kaga City Museum of Art; Kanazawa City Nakamura Memorial Museum, etc.
- Production Period: 1960s–early 1970s (Showa 40s)
- Item Condition: Very Good (No chips, no cracks. Traditional kiln flaw present on the rim from firing)
- Accessories: Dedicated paulownia wooden box (Tomobako with handwritten calligraphy "Decorative Plate with Pampas Grass and Bamboo Design in Green Glaze" on the lid, signature seal and seal stamp "Fujio" on the inside of the lid), explanatory pamphlet included (authored by Yasuji Saga, President of the Ishikawa Art and Culture Association)
- Material: Porcelain (Green glaze, black enamel, overglaze enamelled)
- Dimensions: Height approx. 3.5 cm, Diameter approx. 17.5 cm
- Note: The items provided by our shop were produced a very long time ago even if unused, and are all listed as pre-owned items. Please understand and confirm that the item may have age-related changes or kiln flaws from firing before considering your purchase.
