Cart
0
0.00 €
This Bizen hanaire by Matsui Yoshiyuki illustrates how traditional ceramics and a more contemporary form language can come together.
This square hanaire (flower vase) was created by Matsui Yoshiyuki, a Japanese ceramic artist associated with the Bizen tradition from Okayama Prefecture. Bizen is one of Japan's oldest ceramic traditions and is known for its unglazed surfaces and the distinctive effects created 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 phase of his career, he worked at the Okayama Prefectural Bizen Ceramic Center, where he further specialized in traditional Bizen techniques.
He was a student of Fujiwara Kei, one of the most influential Bizen masters of the twentieth century and officially recognized as a Living National Treasure. Through this lineage, Matsui Yoshiyuki is directly connected to an important branch of the modern Bizen tradition.
From the 1960s onwards, he participated in national craft exhibitions and became a member of the Japan Kōgei Association, an organization dedicated to preserving traditional Japanese crafts. Around 1971–1973, he built his own kiln in Bizen. In the decades that followed, his work was exhibited and sold at major venues including Takashimaya and Hankyu, two prominent Japanese department stores, and he received several regional cultural awards.
His body of work mainly consists of functional yet sculptural ceramic objects, particularly vases and hanaire, in which the natural effects of wood firing play a central role.
This object is a Bizen hanaire (花入), a type of flower vase traditionally used for ikebana, the Japanese art of flower arranging.
The tomobako (wooden storage box) bears the title:
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 initial firing
角花入 (Kaku hanaire) – square flower vase
Within Bizen ceramics, the term 初窯変 refers to the characteristic surface effects created during wood firing. Ash, flame, and temperature variations interact directly with the clay, shaping the final appearance of the piece.
As is typical for Bizen ware, the vase is unglazed. Its colors and textures are entirely the result of the firing process.
Several characteristic kiln effects are visible on the surface:
dark brown to nearly black areas where the flame had a stronger impact
soft grey and beige tones caused by reduction during firing
subtle ash deposits (goma effect), where wood ash has partially fused with the clay
These variations are inherent to the traditional Bizen firing process and make each piece unique.
The square, architectural form differs from the more common cylindrical shapes often seen in Bizen ware. Such more structured forms became increasingly common from the 1980s onwards, when many Bizen ceramicists began exploring more studio-oriented designs alongside traditional forms.
The square shape gives the object a calm, almost architectural presence, while the surface tells the story of the kiln. During firing in a wood kiln, flames, ash, and heat interact directly with the clay, creating natural variations in warm earth tones, deep browns, and soft greys.
The object was designed as an ikebana vase. Its relatively narrow opening allows branches or seasonal flowers to be arranged in stable, minimal compositions. In Japan, such vases 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 is accompanied by its original tomobako, protective cloth, and workshop documentation, clearly situating the object within its original context.
Dimensions
Height: 24 cm
Weight: vase approx. 1 kg, incl. tomobako 1355 g
Signature
The tomobako (wooden storage box) bears the title:
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 initial firing
角花入 (Kaku hanaire) – square flower vase
Learn more about the meaning and origins of Bizen ceramics in the Tamashii Guide.
Each vintage piece in our collection carries a story and bears the marks of its past. We kindly ask you to review the photos carefully for an honest impression of its condition and any signs of use.
Chat