金銀彩絹文長角皿 — Kin-gin-sai kinu-mon naga-kaku-zara

Large rectangular platter decorated with gold and silver silk motifs

Tsuboshima Dohei (坪島圡平, 1929–2013) — Hironaga / Senkaku kiln, Mie, Japan

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A major work by a master of contemporary Japanese ceramics, delivered with its original signed wooden box (tomobako).

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This large Japanese stoneware dish is a characteristic piece of the visual vocabulary of Tsuboshima Dohei (坪島圡平), one of the freest and most inventive ceramists in contemporary Japan. He perfectly embodies the synthesis between the great historical traditions of Japanese stoneware and the singular vision, sure and poetic gesture, of the artist.

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✦ Visual and technical description

The dish features a A rectangular shape with cut and irregular edges , typical of Tsuboshima's expressive style, which treats the clay slab as a living canvas. The four edges are freely incised and slightly undulating, giving the object an organic energy that rejects any geometric rigidity. The piece rests on four small, discreet feet , according to the tradition of high-ranking serving dishes.

The surface — and this is where the artist's mastery lies — is covered with a dark, mineral, anthracite-grey ash engobe , evoking the world of ancient sandstones Iga Or Seto . Against this austere, metallic-reflecting background, large... diagonal gold stripes whose dense, slightly raised, engobed material suggests, with remarkable economy of means, silk widths (絹, kinu ) superimposed — motif which gives its title to the work.

Fine, sharp lines, in gold and burnished bronze, cross the plate diagonally in multiple directions, playing with light bands and dark areas to create an effect of Woven light , textile vibration transposed into ceramic. Natural splashes and firing points add their own punctuation to the picture.

The result is a composition both graphic and atmospheric Mineral at its base, luminous in its highlights, taut in its lines and relaxed in its forms. This is the aesthetic of wabi brought to an extreme level of sophistication.

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✦ The signed wooden box (Tomobako 共箱)

The play is accompanied by its Original wooden box (tomobako) , signed by the artist. The lid bears the full title of the work in calligraphy:金銀彩絹文長角皿 Kin-gin-sai kinu-mon naga-kaku-zara — “Large rectangular dish decorated with gold and silver silk motifs”

The box also includes the red stamp of the artist as well as his calligraphic signature. The presence of a signed tomobako is an essential guarantee of authenticity in the market for collectible Japanese ceramics. 

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✦ The stamp on the plate

The bottom of the dish bears the incised seal of the artist, engraved in the clay before firing — an additional mark of authenticity characteristic of Hironaga / Senkaku kiln production.

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✦ Artistic context

This dish is part of the production of large tableware pieces from Tsuboshima Dohei, where it demonstrates its mastery of the Gold and silver decoration techniques on sandstone ( kin-gin-sai ), a tradition which he reinterprets here through the prism of Japanese textiles (Kyoto silks, nishiki ). This dialogue between ceramics and the world of precious fabrics is a constant in the work of the artist, heir to the culture chajin (tea man) and the literate aesthetic of Japanese scholars.

The sobriety of the dark sandstone background deliberately contrasts with the preciousness of the metallic highlights, creating this tension between rustic and refined which is the stylistic signature of Tsuboshima Dohei. The dish can be used for presenting exceptional dishes or displayed as a work of art in its own right.

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✦ State of preservation

Excellent overall condition, with no visible cracks or restoration. The gold and silver highlights are well preserved. Slight traces of natural firing are consistent with the kiln's aesthetic.

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✦ Provenance and authenticity

• Delivered with the original tomobako (wooden box) , signed and stamped by the artist
• Incised stamp on the reverse of the dish
• Unique piece, produced by Hironaga / Senkaku oven (廣永陶苑 / 仙鶴窯), Mie, Japan

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✦ Dimensions