Bizen Flower Vase by Fujiwara Yū 藤原雄 (1932-2001)

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

Bizen stoneware flower vase, tall and slightly oval in shape, with a supple wall and irregular opening. The lip is deliberately free-form, with two small perforations near the rim. The surface bears fine, almost graphic, vertical incisions that accompany the tension of the form without overpowering it.

The wood firing produced broad passages of reddish-brown, light beige, and dark brown, with natural drips that cross the wall like veils of fire. This type of effect, here referred to as "Fire-Drape," belongs to the specific vocabulary of Bizen: the decoration arises from the clay, the flame, the ashes, and the position of the piece in the kiln. Nothing is painted. The surface is built by the firing process.

The piece is powerful in its sobriety. The volume remains simple, almost archaic, but the surface is very vibrant. The reddish layers, the light areas, the darker traces, and the incised lines give the vase a presence that is both rustic and highly controlled. The function of a hanaire remains legible, but the object asserts itself primarily as a work of the kiln, where the material carries the entire intensity of the piece.

Fujiwara Yū (1932-2001) is one of the great figures of modern Bizen. Born in Honami, in the present-day city of Bizen, he is the eldest son of Fujiwara Kei, himself a Living National Treasure for Bizen ware. After studying at Meiji University, he worked briefly in publishing before returning to Okayama to assist his ailing father and dedicate himself to ceramics. He then developed a powerful, direct body of work, adhering to traditional Bizen forms—vases, bowls, mizusashi, hanaire—with a very personal amplitude.

In 1996, Fujiwara Yū was designated a Living National Treasure for Bizen ware. This recognition, following that obtained by his father, places the Fujiwara family at the heart of the Bizen revival in the 20th century. His role extended beyond workshop production: he contributed to the international dissemination of Bizen, welcomed Japanese and foreign students, gave lectures, and participated in the recognition of Bizen stoneware in the field of contemporary ceramics.

The vase is preserved with its original signed tomobako and its printed shiori. The inscription on the box reads 備前焼 花入, or "Bizen stoneware henaire," with Fujiwara Yū's signature.

Dimensions: height 29.4 cm; width 23.5 cm.