A white form from the post-war era by Living National Treasure Shimizu Uichi enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Hakuyu Utsuwa. It is an extraordinarily mid-century object, and quite different from the forms through which Shimizu later became familiar. The box inscription is wonderfully noncommittal “White-glazed Vessel.” Not chawan, hachi, kabin, or another functional designation. The choice of utsuwa is significant. Shimizu seems deliberately unwilling to tell us exactly what this object is for. vessel reveals Shimizu Uichi exploring form with an almost geometric economy. A deep central well is surrounded by a remarkably broad horizontal flange, transforming the familiar vocabulary of the bowl into a composition of concentric circles, planes and voids. The pale glaze is quiet and slightly granular, while a fine dark line gathers around the outermost edge, sharply articulating the vessel's circumference. Viewed from above it appears almost abstract; from the side, the thin projecting flange seems to hover above the heavier body beneath. Shimizu's experiments were not confined to what could happen upon the surface of a pot; sometimes he reconsidered the pot itself. It is 16 cm (6-1/2 inches) diameter, 8 cm (3 inches) tall and 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.
