Shoji Kamoda ash glaze bowl

This is a ash-glazed bowl from Kamoda Shoji's early Mashiko period, exuding a dignified sense of tension.

The size is just right, and the slightly tapered mouth makes it easy to drink, which is Kamoda's preference.
The tea looks great.

Kamoda is known for his diverse range of works, including curved carvings and colorful wave patterns, but looking at his work as a whole, he does not have many bowl-shaped pieces.

Kamoda became independent and began making pottery in Mashiko in 1959. At first, he focused on making practical everyday utensils using a variety of glazes, including ash glaze, candy glaze, and green glaze.
When he visited his parents' home in Kishiwada, Osaka in 1960, he came across pottery fragments from the remains of a Sue ware kiln scattered around the nearby Komyoike(光明池), and became very interested in them.
About two years later, he began creating ash-glazed works in earnest.
In an interview, Kamoda said the following about his work from this period:

"Mine is a line. It's so sharp, I'm very conscious of it."

Kamoda was attracted to the sharp, taut lines of pottery.
Looking at this bowl, it is clear that Kamoda was influenced by Sueki(須恵器) and Sanage(猿投) ash-glazed jars, and was drawn to their charm.

Furthermore, the wheel marks, which are deliberately made to stand out clearly, reveal the strong sense of form that is unique to Kamoda, who is renowned as a master of the potter's wheel.

In contrast, the ash glaze applied to the piece is a transparent, calm, deep blue-green color.
The front is slanted, the inside is generously crescent shaped, and glaze is scattered randomly here and there.

One of the charms of Kamoda ware from this era is the coexistence of seemingly opposing elements in a single bowl: the sharp, sharp shape and the natural, fresh glaze.

The name of ceramic artist Shoji Kamoda became known to the world through his series of ash-glazed works, and from 1967 he expanded into white porcelain and earthenware-style works.

The piece comes with a stamp on the bottom and a box.

[References]
東京国立近代美術館他編「現代陶芸の美 加守田章二展」1987年、日本経済新聞社刊

[Responsible for: Megu Fukaya]

✳︎This work will be available until 12:00 on December 20th.