Toyoshi Yamada, Kutani vase "BLUE.SKY"

Large Kutani ceramic vase by Toyoshi Yamada, with a tall, slender trumpet shape, featuring an underglaze metallic leaf decoration in a range of deep blues. The simple yet powerful silhouette gives full prominence to the surface, where the metallic applications create a network of irregular facets, sometimes luminous, sometimes more subdued, animating the vase like a sky streaked with reflections.

The title "BLUE.SKY", inscribed by the artist in English on the tomobako, aptly illuminates the logic of the piece. The intense blue, deep at the center and lighter towards the silvery areas, creates a very particular atmospheric effect. The underglaze metallic leaves extend to the inside of the vase, reinforcing the coherence of the work and showing that the decoration is conceived as a complete environment of light and material. The slightly flared lip extends this impression of openness and subtly captures the light.

Born in 1952, Toyoshi Yamada belongs to the contemporary revival of Kutani ceramics. A member of the Nikkōkai and a certified traditional craftsman, he has received numerous awards during the 1990s, including the Nikkōkai Prize in 1993 and the highest distinction at the Hokuriku Nikkōkai Exhibition in 1999. His career is also marked by many selections at the Ishikawa Prefectural Contemporary Art Exhibition and a selection at Nitten in 1992. His work is particularly recognized for the refined use of gold, silver, and platinum leaf underglaze, combined with colored gradients and highly controlled light effects.

This vase is an excellent example. It combines the monumentality of a large format, the sobriety of a perfectly held form, and the visual richness of a decoration based on the superposition of blues and the vibration of metallic surfaces. The whole produces a very strong presence, both decorative and contemplative, which will appeal to a collector of contemporary Japanese ceramics as well as to an interior seeking a rare and luminous piece.

The vase is signed under the base. Its original tomobako is preserved; it is signed, bears a seal, and the inscription "BLUE.SKY" is there in the artist's hand.

Dimensions: diameter 25 cm; height 57.5 cm. Weight: 11 kg.