Chōsen Karatsu ceramic vase by Nishioka Yoshihiro

This stoneware vase, hand-crafted by Nishioka Yoshihiro, is part of the tradition of Chōsen Karatsu, a variation of Karatsu-yaki. The vase adopts a slender silhouette with cut sides ( mentori ), creating marked vertical lines that interact with the natural glaze drips. Its deliberately unfinished base reveals a sandy earth characteristic of the local clays of the Karatsu region, in Saga Prefecture, northwest of Kyūshū, a historic center of Japanese ceramics since the 16th century.

Chōsen Karatsu, literally "Korean Karatsu," is a style that emerged under the influence of Korean potters brought to Japan during the invasions of the peninsula. This aesthetic is distinguished by the application of a dark, iron-rich glaze ( kuro ame ) on the upper part, revealing a lighter glaze ( shiraki ) or sometimes intentionally unglazed areas. In this piece, the irregular drips of the dark glaze contrast with the beige tones and bare texture of the stoneware, producing natural melting and layering effects, characteristic of the high-temperature firings in a wood-fired kiln, typical of Karatsu.

The decoration, entirely dictated by the ceramist's gestures and the reactions of the flame, gives the vase a lively and spontaneous appearance, specific to Karatsu-yaki. A wabi-sabi-style piece of great strength and presence.

Nishioka Yoshihiro was born in 1954 in Karatsu. The son of master ceramicist Nishioka Koju, he pursued a demanding family education before joining the Goyōkai circle, founded by Arakawa Toyozō, in 1977. There, he deepened the rigor of the traditions of Mino, Hagi, Karatsu, Shigaraki, and Bizen. In 1994, he established his own kiln, Ryōun-gama, in Karatsu, where he focused primarily on Karatsu-yaki, with a marked taste for classical techniques such as Chōsen Karatsu and Madara Karatsu. His works are regularly exhibited in galleries in Japan and internationally.

This vase is signed at its base by the ceramist. It comes with a beautiful wooden protective box (tomobako) closing with a sanadahimo cord, and, not photographed but present, a protective cloth (tomonuno) bearing the artist's seal and an information document (shiori) detailing his profile, all guaranteeing the authenticity and provenance of the piece .