A large open vessel covered inside with glossy dark iron, outside I fissured soft white by Ichino Kenta enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Saishoku Tamba Kaki.It is 22.5 cm (9 inches9 diameter, 27 cm (11 inches) tall and in excellent condition.
Ichino Kenta, born in 1986 in Tamba Tachikui, is a potter dedicated to preserving the traditions of Tamba ware while embracing innovative approaches to pottery. He graduated from the Kyoto Prefectural Advanced Technical School of Ceramic Art in 2006 and completed further studies at the Kyoto Municipal Industrial Research Institute in 2007. Since his first solo exhibition in 2011, Ichino has showcased his work in solo and group exhibitions across Japan. His creations include vessels featuring turquoise glaze (Turkey blue) and pieces that highlight the qualities of Tamba clay, fired in traditional climbing kilns. Notable exhibitions include a three-person Tamba ware showcase at Daimaru Kobe Art Gallery in 2013 and group exhibitions highlighting young Tamba artists in Nagoya and Kobe in 2014.
Tamba ware is one of Japan’s six ancient kilns, alongside Seto, Tokoname, Shigaraki, Bizen, and Echizen, with origins tracing back to the late Heian to early Kamakura periods. Its defining feature is yakishime (unglazed stoneware), fired in climbing kilns without artificial glazes. During the firing process, ash from burning firewood settles on the clay, fusing with the iron in the native soil to produce natural hues of green and brown. This natural ash glaze, known as bidoro, was a hallmark of Tamba ware during the anagama (single-chamber kiln) period.
