Resembling a weathered shell or the protective skin of a small sea creature, this ceramic futamono (covered vessel) by Mukai Naoko is titled Mino, a word that evokes the layered straw rain capes traditionally worn for protection against the elements. The vessel’s gently tapering form is wrapped in rhythmic bands of finely incised ridges that spiral across the surface like the growth lines of a shell or coral formation. Fired to a warm iron-rich reddish tone, the textured surface gathers subtle variations of shadow and sheen within its carved structure, giving the piece the appearance of something slowly shaped by natural processes. The lid is a small removable pin, a delicate detail that contrasts with the otherwise organic presence of the form while pushing the limits of the object's function as a container. Both sculptural and intimate in scale, the work suggests simpler times coupled with a nostalgia that feels at once protective, ancient, and alive. The piece measures approximately 22 x 14 x 12.5 cm (8-3/4 x 5-1/2 x 5 inches) and is in excellent condition, directly from the artist.
Mukai Naoko was born in Tokyo in 1999, and graduated from Musashino Art University in 2023 with a degree in Crafts and Industrial Design, specializing in ceramics, and completed the Tajimi City Pottery Design and Technical Center in 2025. Representing a new generation of ceramic artists, her work has already been presented internationally and domestically, including Talking Flowers at the Museum of Decorative Arts in Prague (2022), ishoken: A New Wind at Nihombashi Takashimaya (Tokyo, 2024), and Alluring Forms at Gallery Voice (Tajimi, 2025). In 2025, she was selected for the 6th Kanazawa World Crafts Triennale at the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa, marking her emergence onto a broader contemporary craft stage.
