A spectacular bowl by Kato Keizan enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Hakuji Seido Monyo Hachi. Sheer white on the inside, it has the faintest tinge of blue-green outside, incredibly elegant and sophisticated, a perfect example of the influence of Sinophilia on Japanese porcelain artists in the early 20th century. For more on that movement see the book: Kindred Spirits, 100 Japanese Ceramics in Chinese Tyle from the Shen Zhai collection, 2024. It is quite large at 28 cm (11 inches) diameter, 15 cm (6 inches) tall and is in excellent condition (Kato Keizan pgs 334-338).
Kato Keizan I (1886-1963) was born in Tajimi city, Gifu, a pottery center in its own right, however came to Kyoto to apprentice under Kiyomizu Rokubei IV. He established himself in the same neighborhood in Kyoto, where he became well known for celadon and Chinese based porcelain forms. Works by this artist are held in the National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto among others.
