This basketwork vase topped with a crab is by Hara Kosei, born on September 28, 1934, in Arita-cho, Saga Prefecture. Hara grew up surrounded by ceramics as his grandfather, Kishiyuki, was a ceramics appraiser, and his father, Tetsuushi, was a respected potter to whom he apprenticed.

In 1957, at the age of 25, Hara traveled to Brazil to teach pottery. Returning to Japan in 1972, he built a kiln in Matsubashi, Kumamoto, and devoted himself to the revival of Matsuhaseyaki pottery, a long-lost traditional craft in the region. Three years later, his works were selected for prestigious exhibitions such as Nitten and the Japan Contemporary Crafts Exhibition, earning him national recognition.

Hara played an important role in promoting crafts in Kumamoto, founding the Kumamoto New Crafts exhibition in 1982. His pieces, which combine elegance and sobriety, notably attracted the attention of Empress Michiko in 2001, who acquired one of his works depicting a crab, one of his favorite subjects.

His son, Kentaro Hara, continues the family tradition today, helping to keep alive the know-how of Matsuhaseyaki pottery, renowned for its refined forms and use of celadon.

37.5 x 14 x 16cm approximately