This lively set of six mamezara small plates by Ichikawa Tōru, titled “Etsu – Shoku no Utsuwa” (Delight: Vessels for the Table), translates the artist’s exuberant ceramic language into a playful yet refined format intended for dining. Each circular dish is individually composed yet visually unified through a bold palette of white, crimson red, golden yellow, and deep bronze metallic glaze flowing across a textured, crackled surface that resembles a mosaic of small cells or scales. Bands of lustrous metallic bronze sweep diagonally across the plates like molten rivers, separating fields of color while catching light with a brilliant reflective sheen. The white ground glaze fractures into irregular crystalline patterns, while clusters of red and yellow glaze appear like bursts of mineral or coral growth embedded within the surface. Although each plate shares this vocabulary, their compositions vary subtly, giving the set a rhythmic diversity that invites arrangement across the table. The rims remain slightly irregular and softly rounded, preserving the hand-built quality of the clay and reinforcing Ichikawa’s preference for organic, tactile forms over strict geometric precision. Despite their sculptural surfaces, the plates remain practical serving vessels suited for small foods, condiments, or sweets, embodying the spirit of convivial dining suggested by the title. Each plate measures approximately 9.7 cm (about 3-3/4 inches), and together the six pieces form a vibrant ensemble that celebrates both the pleasures of food and the expressive possibilities of contemporary ceramic surface.
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.
