Ceramic vase with tenmoku glaze by Moriyasu Kimura

This vase by Moriyasu Kimura is part of the Kyō yaki tradition (Kyōto ceramics), while also reflecting the ceramist's personal exploration of tenmoku glazes (rich in iron). With its balanced form and deeply nuanced surface, this vase embodies a classic Japanese aesthetic, both understated and elegant, ideal for a floral arrangement or as a decorative object in a contemporary interior.

The ceramist

Moriyasu Kimura was born in 1935 in Kyōto, in the Gojōzaka district, the historic center of Kyōto ceramics. He trained at the Kyōto Municipal Institute of Arts and Crafts, where he developed a profound mastery of shaping and glazing.

Admitted to the Nihon Dentō Kōgei Ten (Japanese Exhibition of Traditional Arts) in the early 1960s, he became a full member of the Nihon Kōgei Kai (Japanese Association of Arts and Crafts). He received several awards of excellence at exhibitions of the Kinki branch of this institution and was honored in 2005 with the Kyōto Prefectural Cultural Award for his entire body of work.

A recognized specialist in tenmoku glazes, he has conducted extensive research into surface effects related to iron-rich glazes. His works are now held in several major public collections, including the British Museum and the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.

Technique and decoration

This vase illustrates Moriyasu Kimura's work with tenmoku glazes, stemming from an ancient tradition characterized by iron-rich glazes capable of producing deep and nuanced effects during firing. The piece is wheel-thrown, then covered with this glaze whose composition promotes complex reactions in the kiln.

The surface reveals a dense scattering of dark, almost crystalline punctuations, spread across a nuanced gray background. These effects result from the concentration of iron and temperature variations during firing, which modulate the texture and visual depth of the glaze. Warmer areas appear towards the upper part, where the material slightly densifies and creates subtle transitions.

The whole demonstrates a perfect mastery of firing, where the richness of the surface does not rely on added decoration, but on the very transformation of the material, in line with contemporary research in Kyō yaki.

Presentation

This vase is signed by the ceramist on its base. It comes with its wooden tomobako box, also signed by the ceramist with his seal and the name of the artwork. An information document (shiori) detailing the ceramist's profile completes the set.

Practical Information

Place of manufacture
Japan, Kyoto

Dimensions
Height 20.8 cm - Diameter 9.8 cm

Weight
1.8kg

Materials
Ceramic

Period
Heisei Era (1989 - 2019)

Condition
In good condition