A very large pottery basin intricately decorated with overlapping patterns under silver and gold by master of complex design Watanabe Kunio enclosed in the original wooden box titled Sekiso-Sai Saka-Mon Hachi.It is 33.5 cm (13 inches) diameter, 17.5 cm (7 inches) tall and in excellent condition.
The first time I saw this artist’s work I was blown away by the precision, skill and beauty inherent. Kunio was born in Yamanashi Prefecture in 1967, graduating the top Art school in Japan, The Tokyo University of Art Ceramics division in 1994. Very unusual for a young potter, his first private exhibition at the Urawa Isetan Department store the following year, while still attending advanced studies at his alma mater. In 1996 he was accepted into the Dento Kogei Shinsaku-Ten Exhibition as well as the Tokai Dento Togei-Ten and established himself in Seto city. 1997 saw his first acceptance into the National Traditional Crafts Exhibition. In 2000 he was awarded at the Tokai Dento Togei-Ten and has since received numerous awards.
