Vase with inlay decoration, named "Umi" (Sea) 

Inoue Ryosai III was the third generation head of his family’s pottery business that specialized in Sumida ware for export. He pioneered a number of innovations in the field of creative ceramics, drawing on his mastery of ancient and modern techniques. From the Taisho (1912–1926) to the Showa (1926–1989) eras, at a time when there was an active debate about the role of ceramics in the modern age, Ryosai immersed himself in research on shape, design, and glazing, and created ceramics that were not bound by tradition. This work shows octopi and crabs swimming in the waves. The pattern is made by scratching lines into the green glaze and then painting over the lines in white. The pattern becomes smaller at the top and at the base it is obscured by a candy-colored glaze. It is a unique work that depicts octopi and crabs rising from the bottom of the water to the surface.
(HASEGAWA Tamao)