Iga Black Luster Eared Japanese Flower Vase

This vase by Iga ware artisan Fukushima Kazuhiro carries forward the distinctive form of the Iga ware tradition. Its silhouette recalls classic Iga vessels, where protrusions known as “ears” extend from the opening—once practical in origin, now symbolic of the style’s enduring strength. In Fukushima’s hands, they emerge as natural outgrowths of the clay, lending the work a sculptural presence.

Shaped on the wheel and fired in an anagama, a traditional wood-fired cave kiln, the vessel was placed at the front for hikidashi, a rare method in which a vessel is pulled from the kiln at around 1300°C (2370°F) mid-firing and rapidly cooled. This sudden release fixes the glaze into brilliance, shimmering with intensity. Within the organic glaze appear delicate flashes of white and pale blue, as though light itself had seeped into the surface. The risk of cracking in this process is ever-present, yet when successful, the result is a finish alive with motion and vitality.

On one side, glossy green ash glaze clings and streams downward, creating fluid traces of its passage through the fire. The opposing face holds more shadow, where the surface settles into stillness. Toward the base, the tone deepens into black, formed where carbon from the ashes has fused with the clay and glaze. 

As the successor to a long-standing Iga kiln, Fukushima both honors and extends this heritage. With this work, he draws deeply from the legacy of Iga ware while asserting his own sensibility. It stands as both a vessel for flowers and an exploration of clay pushed to its limits—a piece that embodies homage and innovation within Japan’s living ceramic tradition.

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.