Sculptural vase by Masafumi Fujihara, third generation of the Fujihira Seibun workshop

Kyoto, Kiyomizu-yaki, second half of the 20th century.

Ceramic vase of very original form, built on an oval base, slightly pointed on the sides, with a body flattened in depth and an upper opening divided into two irregular lips joined by a central hollow. The silhouette has a very constructed, almost architectural presence. The entire surface is animated by fine, regular vertical striations, which give the piece a vibrant and tight skin. On this light background, brownish-beige color applications descend in free streaks, like quick, almost calligraphic gestures, whose spontaneity evokes a graffiti line.

This tension between a firmly held form and a very free pictorial intervention is what makes the vase so interesting. The decoration is not added as a secondary motif. It directly influences the reading of the volume, emphasizing verticality, breaking symmetry, and giving the surface a lively energy. The piece belongs to a vein of Kyoto ceramics where the tradition of Kiyomizu-yaki is shifted towards more modern, more decorative in the strong sense, and sometimes almost sculptural forms.

Masafumi Fujihara is linked to the third generation of the Fujihira Seibun workshop, a ceramic house established in Gojōzaka, Kyoto, in the world of Kiyomizu-yaki. The name Seibun is that of the workshop's founder, which then became the transmitted name of the house. This family continuity is essential to understanding the object: it does not come from an isolated production, but from an old Kyoto workshop, dedicated to art ceramics, vases, and decorative objects, while seeking new forms within tradition.

This vase is a very good example. With its flattened construction, elongated base, tight striations, and very free colored streaks, it moves away from the usual forms of Kyoto vases while retaining the quality of material and finish specific to this environment. It shows a research where volume, skin, and colored gesture are conceived together.

Dimensions: height 27 cm; width 23 cm; depth 7.8 cm.