Shoji Hamada, Stoneware Jug
Artist: Shoji Hamada (1894-1978)
Title: Stoneware Jug
Date: Shōwa Period (1926 - 1989)
Dimensions: 21.4 x 14.7 x 12.1cm
Original Japanese Antique.
This is a wheel-thrown jug, and typical of Hamada’s work. The stoneware piece clearly shows the connection to Bernard Leach and his style of making. The hue of the ash glaze, known in Japanese as Nuka, and style of jug echo 20th Century British studio pottery. The red seal on the box is known as a Mongama or ‘gate kiln’. This indicates that the jug was either made by Hamada in its entirety or thrown by one of his workers and then decorated by him.
Shoji Hamada
Designated as a Living National Treasure in 1955, Hamada was famed for his return to folk crafts (mingei), establishing the small town of Mashiko as a centre of pottery. Hamada espoused simplicity of form in his works, particularly notable in his sugar cane motifs that decorate the lighter segments of the grid design of the vase. Such brushwork was a meditative feat; by expelling any pretentiousness or preconceived artistic ideals in his works, Hamada strived to reach a style and feeling of innocence through his craft.
| Artist | Shoji Hamada |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | (H) 21.4 x (W) 14.7 x (D) 12.1cm |
| Subject | Others |
| Product Date | 1926 - 1989 |
