An elegant organic vase in classic black and white glaze by Richard Milgrim enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Konkoguro Seitaka Kaki. It is 14.3 × 11.5 × 40.5 cm (roughly (6 x 4-1/2 x 16 inches) and in perfect condition, directly from the artist.
Milgrim’s Konkoguro glaze is more than just a surface treatment—it’s a symbolic and aesthetic fusion that pays homage to both the ancient and contemporary, the East and the West. Konko-yu ("Concord glaze") is one of Milgrim's signature glazes developed at his American studio in Concord, Massachusetts—named Konko-Gama ("Concord Kiln"). The name was granted in 2004 by Dr. Sen Genshitsu of the Urasenke tea tradition and carries layered meaning: (kon – “present”/“new”), (ko – “old”/“traditional”), and (gama – “kiln”)—symbolizing the fusion of American innovation with traditional Japanese tea-ceremonial aesthetics. These pieces are not only visually compelling but also conceived with the functionality and spirit of chanoyu in mind—balancing tactile harmony, scale, form, and surface that invite contemplative use.
Richard Milgrim (b. 1955) of White Plains New York graduated Antioch College in 1979 following a year travelling in Japan and internship at the Fogg Museum of Harvay rd. That same year he began down a path, following a “way” as it is called in Japan, Sado or Chanoyu, the Japanese Tea Ceremony. That same year he returned to Japan, apprenticing initially under Iwabuchi Shigeya while studying at the Midorikai of Urasenke. His first solo exhibition was held in 1981, one of many, and he subsequently began to move about Japan, gobbling up styles under various masters such as Living National Treasure Fujiwara Yu, Kato Koemon and Tahara Tobei. He established his own kiln in Hiyoshi, North of Kyoto in 1984. He is probably the only foreign potter to be truly accepted into the brand conscious world of Japanese tea, and his shows frequently sell out early. From 2000 to 2014 he spit his time between Hiyoshi and a kiln he established in Concord Massachusetts, where he developed some innovative techniques and glazes now firmly a part of his repertoire in Japan. He is adept therefore with Shino, Oribe, Bizen, Seto, Karatsu and Yakishime styles. According to Richard “Since 1977 on my first arrival in Kyoto, I have been blessed with an unending flow of "deai" (encounters) that have almost been like stepping stones on the garden path, leading me into the innermost depths of the field of "Chatou" (tea ceramics).Undoubtedly the most significant "deai" was meeting Dr. Sen Genshitsu (the former 15th generation Grand Master of the Urasenke Tea Tradition), in 1979. With his guidance and endorsement over the years, including the naming of my 2 studios in both Japan-RICHADO-GAMA, and America- KONKO-GAMA, Dr. Sen has been the primary catalyst in the development of my career over the past 40 years.”
