Yakishime ceramic vase by Koinuma Michio

This small (approximately 9 cm square), perfectly balanced vase is a creation by Japanese ceramist Koinuma Michio. Its geometric silhouette, with its clean, crisp lines, asserts a sculptural presence of great purity. The square opening at the top accommodates a floral stem with great sobriety.

The ceramic material is distinguished by superb variations in texture and hue. The deliberately irregular surface presents shades of deep gray, brown, moss green, and silver highlights, punctuated by darker traces evoking organic patterns. This unique appearance results from high-temperature firing without glaze (焼締め, yakishime ), carried out in a reduced atmosphere to limit oxygen in the kiln. Before firing, metal oxides—particularly iron—are applied to the surface, producing these metallic patina effects, often compared to ancient iron or naturally eroded stone. This firing process, carried out with great precision, gives the material a depth and vibrancy that reveal the sensitivity of the ceramist.

The unique style of this vase resonates perfectly with the aesthetic research of Koinuma Michio, whose work is distinguished by refined forms and a subtle exploration of materials.

Born in 1936 in Tokyo and deceased in 2021, Koinuma Michio is a Japanese ceramist renowned for his contemporary approach to ceramics. A graduate of the Tokyo University of Fine Arts, he quickly turned to a sculptural expression of stoneware, which he worked into architectural, often geometric, forms with great technical mastery.

His work is characterized by a constant exploration of textures and surface effects. He uses the yakishime technique (high-temperature firing without glazing), combined with reduction firing and the application of metallic oxides, to achieve patina effects reminiscent of metal or stone. This approach gives his pieces a mineral presence, both archaic and contemporary.

Koinuma Michio has exhibited in Japan and internationally since the 1970s, and several of his works are now held in public collections, including the Victoria & Albert Museum in London and the Brooklyn Museum in New York. His work is particularly sought after for its combination of formal rigor and organic sensibility, embodied in pieces where every surface detail appears to be the product of time.

This vase comes with its wooden box (tomobako) bearing the artist's signature, his seal, as well as an information document (shiori) detailing the profile of the ceramist.