This piece is a gourd-shaped glass tokkuri (sake flask) by Kaoru Okawa (1940–2008), who worked at Hokuyo Glass, a glassworks in Aomori Prefecture, while also presenting his own works as an independent artist. The base bears a single-character signature incised in cursive script that appears to read “Kaoru” (薫). The body, made of deep crimson glass with a frosted matte finish, is clad in gold-tone foil on its upper portion and silver-tone foil on its lower portion. At approximately 13 cm in height and 8 cm in body diameter, it sits comfortably in the hand and can be used as a decanter for serving aged spirits.
According to his reported biography, Mr. Okawa was born in Niigata Prefecture in 1940, studied craft design at Musashino Art University, and joined Hokuyo Glass in Aomori City in 1964. Hokuyo Glass began in 1949 as a maker of glass fishing floats. Building on the free-blowing (chūbuki) technique developed through float making, the company created Tsugaru Vidro in 1977, a line of handmade glass expressing the four seasons and natural landscapes of Aomori. Tsugaru Vidro was also the first product to be designated a traditional craft of Aomori Prefecture. From 1980 onward, Mr. Okawa presented his work in solo exhibitions and glass exhibitions in various parts of Japan. According to the official records of Aomori Prefecture, he received the 11th Aomori Prefecture Art and Culture Award in the crafts category for fiscal year Showa 60 (1985). He is further reported to have won the Grand Prize in Section 1 of the Tohoku Glass Art Exhibition, sponsored by Asahi Glass, in 1990, and the Asahi Glass Prize at the 1st Japan Glass Art Exhibition in 1991. In 2006 he served as an adviser to the company, and he passed away in 2008.
Mr. Okawa’s style is distinguished by the way he incorporated glassmaking techniques from abroad on a foundation of glassblowing. In particular, his tea ceremony utensils, in which he adapted millefiori, the mosaic glass technique handed down on the Venetian island of Murano, in his own distinctive way, are introduced as representative of his work. He also produced many works on the theme of the natural scenery of the Tsugaru region. This piece does not employ millefiori mosaic decoration. It is an example in which the surface is composed through the contrast of two kinds of foil, gold and silver, and it demonstrates the breadth of his decorative expression.
The vessel takes the form of a gourd, with a larger and a smaller swelling joined by a narrow waist. The upper swelling tapers toward the mouth, and the rim flares slightly outward. In this piece, a form long cherished in Japan as the shape of the tokkuri is rendered in glass. The entire surface has a matte finish with subdued luster, and the underlying glass changes in appearance with the light, ranging from a deep carmine to a bright crimson. From the upper swelling to the rim, finely fragmented gold-tone foil covers nearly the entire surface. Its lower edge breaks off irregularly, leaving a band of the crimson ground exposed at the waist. On the lower swelling, silver-tone foil fragments of various sizes encircle the surface, separated by a network of cracks, so that the crimson ground forms lines threading between the pieces of foil and creates a pattern across the whole. Among the silver-tone foil are also fragments with a golden tint, so the coloring shifts with the viewing angle. When lit from behind, the crimson glass glows brightly as light passes through it, while the foil emerges as dark silhouettes. A further highlight of this piece is the appearance of a seemingly inverted pattern, different from what is seen when light falls on it from the front. The base is finished with a shallow, flat recess, on which the signature is incised.
The piece bears no date. It is a work bearing the artist’s signature, made between 1980, when he began presenting his work in solo and glass exhibitions, and his death in 2008. Documentation on Mr. Okawa is limited even within Japan, and his work has received almost no attention overseas. This gourd-shaped tokkuri, combining gold and silver foil on frosted crimson glass, is a piece of documentary value for understanding his work.
- Artist: Kaoru Okawa (大川 薫,1940–2008)
- Representative career highlights: [1964] Joined Hokuyo Glass, [1980 onward] Exhibited in solo exhibitions and glass exhibitions in various parts of Japan, [1985] 11th Aomori Prefecture Art and Culture Award (Crafts, fiscal year Showa 60), [1990] Grand Prize, Section 1, Tohoku Glass Art Exhibition (sponsored by Asahi Glass), [1991] Asahi Glass Prize, 1st Japan Glass Art Exhibition (sponsored by Asahi Glass), [2006] Adviser to Hokuyo Glass
- Museum collections: No museum holdings have been confirmed
- Period of production: Late Showa to Heisei era (between 1980 and 2008)
- Condition: Shows slight signs of use
- Accessories: None
- Material: Glass (metal foil decoration)
- Dimensions: Height approx. 13.0 cm, maximum body diameter approx. 8.0 cm, mouth diameter approx. 3.5 cm
- Remarks: Single-character signature, appearing to read “Kaoru” (薫), incised on the base
- Note: All items offered by our shop, even if new and unused, were produced long ago and are therefore listed as pre-owned. Items may show age-related wear or damage; please review and understand this before considering your purchase.
