Rectangular vase in Kutani porcelain, in a vibrant turquoise blue. Its perfectly flat surface is entirely covered with a deep, luminous, glossy glaze, the tension of which reveals in places a discreet moiré pattern. Fine cubic protrusions, arranged in columns, enliven two sides like architectural writing. The square opening and the dark interior reinforce the effect of purity and modernity.

Akimori Nakata (中田明守), a master ceramist from Kanazawa (Ishikawa Prefecture), trained at the ceramics department of the Ishikawa Prefectural Technical High School, where he graduated in 1953. A member of the Japan Craft Design Association and the Ishikawa Craft Association, he founded the Nichisai group in the early 1980s and participated in major exhibitions, including the Japan–US Art & Craft and the International Exchange Craft Design Exhibition for the 400th anniversary of Kanazawa. His work, referred to as the “Nakata style” in Japanese craft circles, is distinguished by intensely colored glazes and a formal rigor that renews the Kutani tradition in the spirit of seikatsu-kōgei.

Height 21 cm, width 17.4 cm, depth 15.4 cm.