Hanaire Oribe by Katō Shuntei II 加藤春鼎二代 (1927-1995)

Japan, Seto, second half of the 20th century.

Seto stoneware flower vase, tall, built on a square-section base. The body rises in sculpted, slightly undulating walls, with oblique planes, incisions and reliefs that give the piece an almost architectural construction. The upper part is deliberately irregular, with a slightly undulating cut lip, which lightens the verticality of the vase and gives it a more vibrant presence.

The deep, thick green Oribe glaze interacts strongly with the sculpted walls. It accumulates in the hollows, highlights the edges, flows in dark sheets, and creates contrasts between almost black areas and lighter passages. Here, Oribe is not merely a decorative coating: it reveals the vase's structure, accentuates the reliefs, and gives the volume an almost organic density.

Katō Shuntei II (1927-1995) belongs to an important lineage of Seto ceramists. His work draws on the traditions of Seto and Mino, notably Oribe, Setoguro, and hikidashi-guro, while treating them with modern vigor. Several of his works are preserved at the Aichi Prefectural Ceramic Museum, confirming his place in the history of 20th-century Japanese ceramics.

This piece clearly demonstrates his approach: a form related to the hanaire, thus to the flower vase and tea culture, but treated with a strong, sculpted, almost monumental construction despite its size. The depth of the glaze, the square base, the relief walls, and the irregular top give the object a presence that is both archaic and highly structured.

Original signed tomobako, bearing the inscription 織部 花入, "hanaire Oribe," with the signature 春鼎.

Dimensions: height 37 cm; width approx. 10 cm.