Large ceramic henko vase by Kinpei Nakamura

This spectacular piece by Kinpei Nakamura is part of the oeuvre of a major figure in contemporary Japanese ceramics. A renowned figure for having profoundly renewed the language of the vase in Japan since the second half of the 20th century, Nakamura has developed a body of work in which ceramics become a true field of sculptural experimentation. With its ample form and monumental presence, this vase also evokes the spirit of Jomon pottery, a long period of Japanese prehistory famous for its hand-modeled ceramics with powerful reliefs and highly animated surfaces. In this piece, this ancient heritage is reinterpreted in a resolutely contemporary language, also informed by sculpture and modern abstraction.

The ceramist

Kinpei Nakamura, born on June 13, 1935, in Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture, is one of the leading figures in contemporary Japanese ceramics. The son of ceramicist Baizan II Nakamura, he grew up in an environment deeply connected to the traditions of ceramics and tea culture. He initially studied sculpture at Kanazawa College of Arts and Crafts before dedicating himself fully to ceramics after settling in Tokyo.

From the 1960s onwards, he developed a personal style that moved away from classical regional traditions to explore ceramics as an autonomous sculptural form. His time in the United States in the late 1960s reinforced his interest in contemporary international ceramics and in forms stemming from modern abstraction.

A professor at Tama Art University in Tokyo for many years, where he headed the craft department, he later became professor emeritus. His 1993 exhibition, Tokyo yaki (Tokyo ceramics), received the Minister of Education's prize. His work is now held in several important public collections, including the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art in Kanazawa and the Kure Municipal Museum of Art.

The technique and the decor

This vase illustrates the sculptural approach characteristic of Kinpei Nakamura's work. The form is constructed by hand modeling, using a method that prioritizes the building of volume.

The vase is composed of several clay elements shaped separately and then assembled to form the overall volume. This construction in different parts creates a very wide and flattened silhouette, typical of the henko (flat vase), while giving the piece an almost architectural presence.

The surface is deeply animated by a dense network of vertical striations that run the length of the vase. These powerful reliefs give the material a distinctive texture and accentuate the object's sculptural strength. Around the short neck, a geometric checkerboard pattern structures the upper part of the vase and introduces a visual contrast to the freer rhythms of the body.

Through the vigor of its reliefs and the intensity of its surface, the work evokes the aesthetics of Jomon pottery, a prehistoric phase of Japanese ceramics known for its powerfully modeled decorations and expressive textures. For Nakamura, this reference is not an archaeological imitation but a plastic reinterpretation in a contemporary language marked by the influence of sculpture and abstraction.

Presentation

This vase is signed by the ceramist on its base. It comes with its tomobako (wooden box) also signed by the artist and bearing the title of the work (henko - flat vase), as well as an informational document (shiori) detailing the ceramist's profile.

Practical information

Place of manufacture
Japan (Tokyo)

Dimensions
Height 33 cm - Width 40 cm - Depth 13 cm

Weight
Vase + box: 12kg

Materials
Ceramic

Period
Early 1980s

Condition
This piece shows some signs of age consistent with its age, which fully contribute to its spectacular character.