Rugged and almost volcanic in presence, this sculptural vase by Ichikawa Tōru embodies the artist’s fascination with transformation through fire and material excess. Titled Kaki Kokuchō (“Vase, Black Butterfly”), it comes in the original signed wooden box. This work is based on the theme of breaking away from old values and is expressed through the motif of black butterflies, such as the Japanese black swallowtail. The black butterfly is regarded as a symbol of transformation and rebirth, representing the transition from the past toward the future.The form rises as a dense, irregular cylinder whose fractured rim opens like a broken geological crust. The surface is built through thick accumulations of glaze and metallic luster, where molten black, iridescent crystalline textures, and flowing pools of pale turquoise cascade across the body. Areas of brilliant gold luster crown the upper edges and appear intermittently throughout the surface, catching the light like exposed mineral veins within a fractured rock. In places the glaze erupts into blistered, cellular patterns that reveal subtle spectrums of violet, green, and blue, producing a shifting, almost oil-slick iridescence against the darker ground. Ichikawa’s process allows gravity and heat to play an active role, creating surfaces that appear simultaneously eroded, crystallized, and newly formed. The result is a vessel that feels less thrown than discovered—like a fragment of mineral growth or cooled lava reshaped into a container for flowers. The work measures approximately 13.6 cm (5-1/2 inches) in diameter, 20.6 cm (8 inches) tall and is in excellent condition, acquired directly from the artist in 2025.
Ichikawa Toru was born in Tokyo in 1973. In 2015 he established his current studio in Bizen after 4 years of apprenticeship under another Bizen Outsider, Kakurezaki Ryuichi. He has since developed quite a following, with his shows selling out often within hours.
