Auspicious Pattern Sakura-Shaped Bowl

This bowl features exquisite sometsuke designs in blue and white with colored details hand-painted by master craftsman Yamamoto Choza. The bottom of the bowl is adorned with a flower-and-bird motif, while the exterior is lavishly decorated with traditional auspicious patterns across its entirety. The intricacies of each design invite a closer look.

The porcelain base is crafted using the katauchi technique. A smooth layer of clay is placed over a mold and carefully shaped by hand with precise force to replicate various forms, like this sakura-shaped bowl, inspired by the beauty of cherry blossoms. The final product attains a thin and uniform appearance.

Yamamoto Choza has refined the exquisite art of sometsuke, as reflected in the bowl’s graceful pattern of flowing curves and detail. Each stroke is applied with meticulous care, emphasizing the bowl’s distinctive Kutani character. By skillfully using brushes of varying thicknesses, Yamamoto creates subtle gradations of blue that heighten the work’s dimensionality. He deftly attains a masterful equilibrium of white space within his finely woven blue lines.

Drawing on the principle that a piece should gracefully enhance rather than overshadow its contents, this bowl embodies a sophisticated equilibrium of form and subtlety. Crafted with elegance, its understated design invites a moment of quiet reflection, allowing every ingredient's unique flavor and subtle nuance to shine.

Yamamoto Choza

Yamamoto Choza is renowned for his innovative synthesis of traditional elegance and modern creativity in blue Kutani ware pottery, also known as ai-Kutani. With years of disciplined study and refined technique, he transforms classical forms through delicate brushwork and a controlled tension that unfolds a narrative of timeless artistry.

Inspired by antique aesthetics, his ceramic art is imbued with auspicious motifs and profound philosophical resonance, creating porcelain pieces that honor heritage while engaging a contemporary audience.

Kutani ware is a pottery produced in the Kaga region of Ishikawa Prefecture, with a history spanning over 350 years. It is characterized by the heavy brilliance of the five colors of navy blue, red, purple, green, and yellow that are applied to the bold and daring lines. Its long history has evolved through the tireless efforts and enthusiasm of people who have sought innovation while maintaining tradition.