Miyagawa Kozan I, who in the early days of his career busily made ceramics for the export market, handed over management of his kiln to the next generation in 1888 so he could spend more time researching glazes and ancient ceramics. Almost immediately, his style changed, as he moved away from the sculptural reliefs that had characterized his earlier work. He began making objects with detailed pictures, and also works with varying textures mixing different glazing effects. This vase replicates a phoenix-shaped boat that the Heian aristocracy enjoyed riding in, and shows a dragon that controls the sea and a mythical bird that defies the wind. Shaped using the tebineri (hand-formed), technique, the vessel is decorated in blue glaze and white lines made by shaping the clay. The result is an exquisite depiction of a theme that is deeply rooted in Japanese traditional culture.
(HASEGAWA Tamao)
Miyagawa Kozan I, who in the early days of his career busily made ceramics for the export market, handed over management of his kiln to the next generation in 1888 so he could spend more time researching glazes and ancient ceramics. Almost immediately, his style changed, as he moved away from the sculptural reliefs that had characterized his earlier work. He began making objects with detailed pictures, and also works with varying textures mixing different glazing effects. This vase replicates a phoenix-shaped boat that the Heian aristocracy enjoyed riding in, and shows a dragon that controls the sea and a mythical bird that defies the wind. Shaped using the tebineri (hand-formed), technique, the vessel is decorated in blue glaze and white lines made by shaping the clay. The result is an exquisite depiction of a theme that is deeply rooted in Japanese traditional culture.
(HASEGAWA Tamao)