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This Bizen hanaire by Matsui Yoshiyuki shows how traditional ceramics and a more contemporary sense of form can come together.
This square hanaire (flower vase) was created by Matsui Yoshiyuki, a Japanese ceramic artist associated with the Bizen pottery tradition from Okayama Prefecture. Bizen is one of the oldest ceramic traditions in Japan and is known for its unglazed surfaces and the distinctive effects produced during prolonged wood-firing in traditional kilns.
Matsui Yoshiyuki was born in 1931 and studied at the Kyoto Ceramic Testing Institute, an important training center for ceramic artists. In the early stage of his career he worked at the Okayama Prefectural Bizen Ceramic Center, where he further specialized in the traditional techniques of Bizen pottery.
He was a student of Fujiwara Kei, one of the most influential Bizen masters of the twentieth century and officially designated a Living National Treasure. Through this mentorship, Matsui Yoshiyuki is directly connected to an important lineage within modern Bizen ceramics.
From the 1960s onward he participated in national craft exhibitions and became a member of the Japan Kōgei Association, an organization dedicated to the preservation of traditional Japanese crafts. Around 1971–1973 he built his own kiln in Bizen. In the decades that followed, his work was presented in exhibitions and sales events at major Japanese department stores such as Takashimaya and Hankyu, and he received several regional cultural awards.
His body of work mainly consists of functional yet sculptural ceramic objects, especially vases and hanaire, where the natural effects of wood-firing play a central role.
The square form gives the object a calm, almost architectural presence, while the surface reveals the story of the kiln. During the wood-firing process, flames, ash and heat interact directly with the clay, creating natural variations in color ranging from warm earthy tones to dark brown and soft grey shades.
The piece was designed as an ikebana vase. The relatively narrow opening allows branches or seasonal flowers to stand securely in simple compositions. In Japan, vessels like this are often placed in a tokonoma, where a flower arrangement, a ceramic object and a hanging scroll together create a moment of quiet contemplation.
The vase comes with its original tomobako (wooden storage box), protective cloth and atelier documentation, placing the object clearly within its historical and artistic context.
Dimensions
Height: 24 cm
Weight: vase approx. 1 kg, including tomobako 1355 g
Signature:
The title written on the tomobako (wooden storage box) reads:
備前 初窯変 角花入
This can be translated as:
備前 (Bizen) – Bizen ware
初窯変 (Hatsugama-hen) – kiln effects from an early or initial firing
角花入 (Kaku hanaire) – square flower vase
Learn more about the meaning and origins of creative Kokeshi in the Tamashii Guide.
Every vintage piece in our collection carries its own story and the marks of its past. Please study the photographs carefully for an honest impression of the condition and possible signs of age or use.
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