A celadon tea bowl by Living National Treasure Shimizu Uichi, enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Horai Seiji Chawan from his later period in Shiga prefecture at the foot of Mount Horai. The classic wangata form rises from a compact dark foot into a deep, generously rounded bowl, its restrained silhouette allowing the remarkable glaze to dominate. Over the dark clay body, a pale blue-green celadon has developed a dense crystalline pattern of fissures, creating overlapping translucent islands that spread across both the exterior and interior like frost or fractured ice. Where the glaze thins toward the gently irregular rim, the darker body beneath lends the edge a subtle grey definition, while the exposed foot provides a strong earthen counterpoint to the luminous surface. Characteristic of Shimizu's Horai-period celadon, the beauty lies less in uniformity than in the interaction of clay, glaze and firing, transforming an exceptionally simple form into a richly textured surface. It measures 13.5 cm (5-1/2 inches) in diameter, 8 cm (just over 3 inches) tall and is in perfect condition.
Shimizu Uichi (1926-2004) was born in Kyoto the son of a ceramic dealer. Discarding the family business, he apprenticed in plastic arts under future Living National Treasure Ishiguro Munemaro. His work retains some principal elements of his teachers style while incorporating an understated elegance and avant-garde spirit of challenge uncommon for his time. He was first exhibited at the Nitten in 1951, receiving numerous awards there since. He also took the gold medal at the Prague International Exhibition, and was at the Brussels World Exposition. He is in the collection of the Tokyo National Museum, Kyoto Museum of Modern art, Clark Center and the Freer Gallery among many others.
