Iga Ash Radiance

This piece by Iga ware artisan Fukushima Kazuhiro presents clean, decisive lines that convey restrained strength. Glaze flows and interweaves across the body in tones both profound and alluring, suggesting reflections of nature. As light moves over the surface, rich gradations emerge, weighty and elemental yet possessing an animate quality.

Enduring two to three firings, the distinctive characters of flame and clay forge. Ash settling on the surface melts in intense heat, permeating the clay body to produce complex, shifting color. Along the sides, occasional metallic luster appears—traces of ash transformed by fire into crystalline deposits. This cool gleam, at once subtle and arresting, pulses with vitality.

A hallmark of Iga ware is the green, water-clear vidro glaze. It forms when wood ash drifts onto raw clay and fuses under extreme temperature, an unplanned gift from earth and flame. Fukushima’s artistry lies in engaging with these untamed elements of fire, clay, and air. Within this piece blooms a deep green pool, lucid and still as a secluded mountain lake, inviting the gaze to sense nature’s breath and current.

Fukushima Kazuhiro

Born as the eighth-generation successor of the Mukai Kiln, which has thrived in Iga for over three centuries, Fukushima Kazuhiro creates ceramic works that combine the profound presence of earth with the translucent beauty of vidro glaze and the distinctive, crackled kairagi texture. While deeply rooted in tradition, his work embraces a contemporary sensibility, transforming the seemingly accidental patterns formed by fire, clay, and ash into deliberate expressions of artistry. Through this process, Fukushima opens new horizons for Iga ware, infusing each piece with striking individuality and life.

Iga Ware

Iga ware, produced in the Iga region of Mie Prefecture, is celebrated for its deep roots in Japanese ceramic history and its distinctive character. With a lineage stretching back some 1,200 years, Iga ware rose to prominence during the Momoyama period (1573–1615 CE), when it became closely tied to the aesthetics of the tea ceremony.

As a form of traditional Japanese pottery, Iga ware is admired for its robust clay, earthy texture, and the organic beauty that emerges through various firing methods. The natural ash glazing and translucent green, glass-like vidro effects created by the intense heat of the kiln reveal the expressive artistry that defines Iga ware.