Wada Morihiro and Modern Ceramics of Japan
PAINTED CLAY
Wada Morihiro and Modern Ceramics of Japan
PAINTED CLAY
Head-Image
Note: Wada Morihiro at center is unavailable.
Wada Morihiro in his studio, 1997. Photo by Tanaka Gakuji.
PAINTED CLAY: Wada Morihiro and Modern Ceramics of Japan
Joan B Mirviss LTD | Asia Week New York 2023
For Asia Week New York, Joan B Mirviss LTD is thrilled to present an exhibition of Wada Morihiro's oeuvre alongside those of Japanese artists who paint on clay.
Wada Morihiro (1944-2008) was one of the most popular clay artists of his generation whose work was in great demand throughout his lifetime. He paired his powerful sculptural vessels with intricately painted, abstracted patterns of grasses, cedar, and other captivating nature-based designs. Utilizing a multiplicity of techniques, including slip decoration, inlay, wax-resist, carving, underglaze, and blown-on glaze, Wada quickly emerged as a bold, fresh talent within the long tradition of Japanese painted ceramics. Until his premature death in 2008, Wada was the most respected and sought-after Japanese artist working with polychrome decorated surfaces. A stunning diversity of his work is presented in this exhibition that covers the entire span of his career. It is complemented by highlights from his teachers, his contemporaries, and his successors, whose clay forms perfectly harmonized with their painted surfaces.
Selected Available Works
Click twice on large image below for additional views
WADA MORIHIRO (1944-2008)
Columnar vessel with “Auspicious Flowers” (kikkamonki) designs
ca. 1997
Glazed stoneware
12 3/4 x 5 3/8 in.
SOLD
WADA MORIHIRO (1944-2008)
Tall zig-zag vessel with “Connected Flower-buds Pattern" (renraimonki)
ca. 1989
Slip-glazed stoneware
22 7/8 x 8 3/4 x 7 7/8 in.
$ 42,000
WADA MORIHIRO (1944-2008)
Kanmonki; Vessel with Repeated Rectangles Decoration
Large standing rectangular vessel decorated with abstract geometric patterning in green, red, black, and cream slip glazes
ca. 1991
Slip-glazed stoneware
17 1/4 x 9 1/4 x 7 1/8 in.
SOLD
WADA MORIHIRO (1944-2008)
Renraimonki; Connected Flower Bud Patterned Vessel
Flattened vertical sculpture decorated with curvilinear flower-bud patterns in dark gray and linear diagonal designs
1992
Slip-glazed stoneware
16 5/8 x 9 1/2 x 5 3/4 in.
SOLD
WADA MORIHIRO (1944-2008)
Kakugenki; Brilliance and Mystery Vessel
Tall geometrically patterned rectangular charcoal gray and brick red slip-glazed vessel with raised square mouth
1997
Slip-glazed stoneware
18 1/8 x 5 3/4 x 5 3/4 in.
SOLD
WADA MORIHIRO (1944-2008)
Sajifū soumonki; Wind and Grass Patterned Vessel
“Wind-and-Grass” patterned, sand-treated, faceted sculptural vessel with angled foot and mouth
1983
Slip-glazed stoneware
14 1/2 x 13 1/8 x 6 1/2 in.
SOLD
WADA MORIHIRO (1944-2008)
Faceted teabowl with textured abstract patterns (sekisai chawan)
1997
Glazed stoneware
11 1/4 x 4 3/4 x 4 3/4 in.
SOLD
WADA MORIHIRO (1944-2008)
Ryūsanmonki; Vessel with Cedar Motif Design
Large biomorphic toroidal vessel with asymmetric elongated base in brown and white abstract cedar design
ca. 1990
Slip-glazed stoneware
21 x 12 1/4 x 12 3/8 in.
SOLD
WADA MORIHIRO (1944-2008)
“Misty Clouds and Flower Pattern” (sōunkamonki) vessel
1983
Glazed stoneware
17 1/8 x 10 x 5 5/8 in.
SOLD
WADA MORIHIRO (1944-2008)
Keisenmonki; Varied Thousand-Thread Patterned Vessel
Trapezoidal standing vessel with sloping shoulders and wide mouth, decorated with abstract geometric patterning in terracotta, green, black and cream slip
ca. 1995
Slip-glazed stoneware
8 3/4 x 8 3/4 x 5 1/2 in.
SOLD
WADA MORIHIRO (1944-2008)
Faceted, crystal-shaped vessel in “Linear Cedar” (hassanmonki) designs
ca. 1991
Slip-glazed stoneware
14 1/2 x 9 1/4 x 8 1/4 in.
SOLD
WADA MORIHIRO (1944-2008)
Sekisai fūsōmonki; Wind and Grass Patterned Vessel
Three-color asymmetrical sloping vessel with raised neck and pinched pouring mouth covered in abstracted grasses patterning
1990
Slip-glazed stoneware
12 x 7 5/8 x 7 5/8 in.
SOLD
WADA MORIHIRO (1944-2008)
Sekisaiki; Red-Colored Vessel
Black-glazed faceted columnar vase with red and white textured abstract patterns
ca. 1998
Glazed stoneware
11 1/4 x 4 3/4 x 4 3/4 in.
SOLD
WADA MORIHIRO (1944-2008)
Ryūsanmonki; Cedar Patterned Vessel
Broad-shouldered, slightly flattened, irregularly rounded vessel covered in abstract cedar design
1985
Slip-glazed stoneware
7 1/4 x 10 x 8 5/8 in.
SOLD
WADA MORIHIRO (1944-2008)
Hand-built faceted teabowl with “fluttering banners” design in orange, ochre, black and white (kifūmon chawan)
ca. 1995
Glazed stoneware
3 1/4 x 4 1/2 in.
SOLD
WADA MORIHIRO (1944-2008)
Kikkamon shuhai; Flower-patterned Sake Cup
Square sake cup with abstract botanical patterning in green and orange
1996
Glazed stoneware
2 5/8 x 2 3/8 in.
SOLD
WADA MORIHIRO (1944-2008)
Sōunkamonki; Misty Clouds-and-Flower Patterned Vessel
Flattened, fan-shaped cloud-and-flower-patterned vessel in dark brown, medium brown and cream colored slip glazes
1984
Glazed stoneware
13 5/8 x 18 x 6 1/2 in.
SOLD
WADA MORIHIRO (1944-2008)
Black bottle-form vase with creamy clay body exposed at base and incised linear and curling designs
late 1970s
Glazed stoneware
10 1/4 x 5 5/8 in.
SOLD
WADA MORIHIRO (1944-2008)
Kanmon tōban; Abstract Pattern Tile
Framed tile with green, red, black abstract pattern
1990s
Enameled porcelain
15 3/4 x 15 3/4 in.; 21 3/8 x 21 3/8 in. framed
SOLD
WADA MORIHIRO (1944-2008)
Teabowl with red-black linear patterns (kakugen jōmon) on gray ground
ca. 2005
Slip-glazed stoneware
3 1/4 x 4 3/4 in.
SOLD
WADA MORIHIRO (1944-2008)
Sake flask with two cups in "Auspicious Flowers" pattern (kikkamon shuki)
ca. 1990
Glazed stoneware
Flask: 7 x 4 in.; each cup: 3 1/2 x 3 1/2 in.
SOLD
KAWAI KANJIRŌ (1890-1966)
Three-color, splash-glazed, diamond-shaped vessel
ca. 1968
Glazed stoneware with black iron-oxide ground
9 1/2 x 7 5/8 x 6 in.
Price on Request
ISHIGURO MUNEMARO (1893-1968)
Craquelure celadon vessel with iron-oxide brushed designs
ca. 1967
Glazed stoneware
6 7/8 x 5 7/8 in.
$ 28,500
YAGI KAZUO (1918-1979)
Small cylindrical vase with stamped decoration of geometric patterns
ca. 1974
Glazed stoneware
8 1/2 x 2 14 x 2 in.
$ 3,500
YAGI KAZUO (1918-1979)
Published waterjar (mizusashi) with white hakeme brush-applied glaze
1977
Glazed stoneware with lacquer cover
4 x 7 1/2 in.
Price on Request
Publication history upon request
MORINO HIROAKI TAIMEI (b. 1934)
Slightly flattened, lobed vessel with undulating bands and dotted patterning
ca. 2010
Glazed stoneware
11 1/4 x 11 3/4 x 6 in.
$ 11,500
MORINO HIROAKI TAIMEI (b. 1934)
Large red and black glazed flattened vessel with geometric wave and dot patterning and wide raised neck and mouth
2019
Glazed stoneware
12 1/4 x 10 1/4 x 7 1/8 in.
$ 9,800
MORINO AKITO (b. 1969)
Nogime tenmoku-glazed (striped, grass-like) baluster vase with pine motif and auspicious numerical designs
2021
Glazed porcelain, gold and platinum overglaze
15 3/8 x 6 5/8 in.
$ 5,850
MORINO AKITO (b. 1969)
Vessel with butterflies motif and auspicious numerical designs titled, "Four Seasons of Peace"
2021
Glazed porcelain, gold and platinum overglaze
15 3/8 x 7 x 7 in.
$ 5,750
SHIGEMORI YŌKO (1953-2021)
Round vessel with classical Japanese landscape imagery and geometric band on shoulder with notched base
2000s
Glazed stoneware
5 x 4 3/8 in.
$ 1,250
SHIGEMORI YŌKO (1953-2021)
Large bowl with brushed on blue, black, and cream glazes in abstract calligraphic designs
2000s
Glazed stoneware
7 1/2 x 10 in.
$ 3,850
TOMITA MIKIKO (b. 1972)
Polychrome "seed"-form sculpture in elaborate red and gold patterning
2019
Porcelaneous stoneware with gold overglaze
3 3/4 x 11 3/8 x 3 7/8 in.
$ 2,950
TOKUDA YASOKICHI III (1933-2009)
Vase painted with brilliant blues and deep purple suffused kutani glazes
ca. 2004
Glazed porcelain
7 5/8 x 2 3/4 x 2 3/4 in.
$ 3,950
KURIKI TATSUSUKE (1943-2013)
Slightly flattened textured vessel covered in geometric banded patterning
ca. 1980
Stoneware with resist-applied iron slip decoration and thin silver glaze
9 3/8 x 9 1/2 x 7 3/4 in.
Price on Request
KURIKI TATSUSUKE (1943-2013)
Vessel with rounded top and geometric ‘woven’ pattern in silver and green glazes
1988
Glazed stoneware
9 3/8 x 8 1/4 x 8 3/8 in.
Price on Request
YOSHIKAWA MASAMICHI (b. 1946)
Kayō
2021
Glazed porcelain in bluish-white (seihakuji) glaze
21 x 6 1/2 in.
$ 8,450
YOSHIKAWA MASAMICHI (b. 1946)
Kayō
2021
Glazed porcelain in bluish-white (seihakuji) glaze
21 x 6 7/8 in.
$ 8,450
TAKEGOSHI JUN (b. 1948)
Square vase decorated with mythical kirin dancing in the clouds
2021
Porcelain with polychrome kutani enamel glazes
17 x 10 in.
$ 22,000
SUZUKI TETSU (b. 1964)
Flattened ovoid vessel with sloped mouth and incised band at center
2018
Glazed stoneware
11 3/4 x 12 7/8 x 9 3/8 in.
$ 11,000
FUJIMOTO YOSHIMICHI (NŌDŌ) (1919-1992)
Grape-patterned gourd-shaped twisting tokkuri (sake flask)
ca. 1980
Glazed porcelain
5 5/8 x 3 x 3 1/4 in.
$ 3,850
FUJIMOTO YOSHIMICHI NŌDŌ (1919-1992)
Tokkuri (sake flask) and matching cup with red and green floral patterning
ca. 1975
Glazed stoneware
5 x 3 3/8 x 3 3/8 in.; 1 5/8 x 2 3/4 x 2 3/4 in.
$ 2,650
TAMURA KŌICHI (1918-1987)
Covered box decorated with blossoming camellia branch
ca. 1985
Glazed stoneware and iron-oxide underglaze
4 1/2 x 6 1/2 in.
$ 8,500
TAKAUCHI SHŪGŌ (b. 1937)
Large Oribe-glazed four-footed vessel with notched rim and incised patterning of archaic glyphs
ca. 2000
Glazed stoneware
10 3/8 x 17 5/ 8 in.
$ 6,850
MATSUDA YURIKO (b. 1943)
Round kōgō with red and yellow abstract patterning and green dots
ca. 1980
Glazed stoneware
1 3/4 x 3 1/8 in.
$ 1,250
MAEDA MASAHIRO (b. 1948)
Hexagonal small cover jar with striped patterning in purple, teal, orange, and silver overglaze
2021
Glazed porcelain
2 5/8 x 2 3/8 in.
$ 1,580
MAEDA MASAHIRO (b. 1948)
Iro-e (overglaze-enameled) faceted vase with geometric "fish scale" patterning
2006
Glazed porcelain
9 1/2 x 6 in.
$ 6,850
MAEDA MASAHIRO (b. 1948)
Flaring large bowl decorated with mountains and geometric motifs
1992
Polychrome glazed porcelain with gold and silver
7 5/8 x 15 3/4 in.
$ 9,800
SAWADA HAYATO (b. 1978)
Toribito; "Bird Person"
2021
Inlaid and glazed stoneware
18 x 11 1/4 x 8 5/8 in.
$ 9,500