We are pleased to announce the 2nd exhibition of Shimura Noriyuki, a unique ceramic artist who takes folklore and history and places them on his colorful vessels. Shimura has been working since 1990 in the Izu peninsula after having studied and worked for 11 years with Seto potter and glaze master Kato Sho (1927-2001, Aichi Intangible Cultural Property). Kato was also a unique potter making incised works with peacocks, for example. Shimura did much inlay-zogan work over the years for Kato and on his current works he continues to employ this technique, often with writing about the meaning of each piece. Our online exhibition will be viewable until July 7th.

Shimura Noriyuki—The Power of Myth (From a past Honoho Geijutsu column)

It’s often said that good things come in small packages, take a little kogo for example. I just had to smile as I held one in my miraculous hands; staring back at me was a fire breathing Godzilla-like figure. How fun, I said to myself! The whimsical world of kogo goes back many centuries with mythical figures such as shishi lions and robed foxes, seven-lucky gods, birds, and other nature themes as motifs. I’m sure such kogo have brought delight to those who viewed them too over the endless years. In fact, kogo are collected the world over with one famous collection of 3,500 kogo (however no fire breathing dragon ones) created by French statesman George Clemenceau (1841-1929). The Clemenceau collection toured Japan in 1978. That was just thirty years ago and how the world at large has changed, not often for the better though, unfortunately. It’s time to, as Henry David Thoreau said, simplify, or as comedian Steve Martin once joked to, ‘get small!’

These largely unnerving days we surely need new dreams, new ideas and new visions (here big is ok) in all aspects of life to revive our spirits, the economy and the environment. Or maybe we just need to look at ancient myths to remember the value of life. Art too is often an inspiration in such turbulent times, a visual way to connect with our psyches, inner voices and dreams; Shimura Noriyuki–the ceramic artist who created the Godzilla-like kogo–is an inspired artist who in his own quiet way is keeping dreams and myths alive in his ceramic art.

The great author of the book ‘The Power of Myth’ Joseph Campbell used to say ‘follow your bliss.’ To do so means one follows the uncharted path of life taking each thought, each dream, each vision into every single precious day to create what we call ‘a life.’

Shimura has been doing that since 1990 in the Izu peninsula after having studied and worked for 11 years with Seto potter and glaze master Kato Sho (1927-2001, Aichi Intangible Cultural Property). Kato was also a unique potter making incised works with peacocks, for example. Shimura did much inlay-zogan work over the years for Kato and on his current works he continues to employ this technique. Have a look at another kogo, the Buddha, and you’ll see a keen sense of balance in the white zogan design set within the backdrop. And the dragon kogo is a riot of color, yet as with all of Shimura’s works the colors blend together in a rather shibui way. And this is an important aspect of Shimura’s work; how he does blend his colors in a kirei-sabi way, not gaudy at all. That makes Shimura’s works able to sit in a tokonoma and not be out of place. They also will bring a lively commentary and smiles to any tea ceremony. Of course he also makes vessels for the table with equally pleasing themes.

As with kogo, okimono or ornamental figures long ago were a whimsical world of beasts, legendary figures, and demons that brought luck, prosperity, dreams and inspiration to many homes. Where are such okimono now? If a society loses its power of indigenous myth and just buys into globalization its spirit will die off. To keep the power of myth alive maintains the health of a society. Shimura is doing all he can to bring okimono back into the homes of the nation.

His Sumo wrestler has a stern yet gentle face, and the image of Fuji-san on his kesho-mawashi imparts not only energy to the okimono, yet also a spirit, the spirit of Japan. The Fuji-san okimono has a well-balanced grove of multi-colored pines growing up the entire form; a pure Japanese image, and symbolism poetical themed with the word ‘tsuki’ or moon rising from the side inlaid within the moon itself. The back has a rather textile themed striped pattern that also recalls Ogata Kenzan. To have such an okimono, in one’s foyer will surely allow one to leave the house each day with a smile and greet the day empowered with their own bliss, rooted in the timeless power of myth. Thanks to Shimura Noriyuki for reminding me of that.

With deep thanks and appreciation for all your interest and support; my staff and I send our best regards from Japan.

Cordially,
Robert Yellin

Yakimono Gallery
3-2-18 Omiya-cho, Mishima-shi, Shizuoka, Japan,411-0035
HOMEPAGE: ROBERT YELLIN YAKIMONO GALLERY
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RECOMMENDED RELATED SITES:
Warren Bobrow, Bread + Butter, Zoy Zhang, Hungry Neko, Think Twice, Frank Fariello, Mangantayon, Hapabento, Elinluv Tidbit Corner, Tokyo Terrace, Maison de Christina, Chrys Niles,Lexi, Culinary Musings, Wheeling Gourmet, Comestiblog, Chronicles Of A Curious Cook, Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Palate To Pen, Yellin Yakimono Gallery, Tokyo Terrace, Hilah Cooking, More than a Mount Full, Arkonite Bento, Happy Little Bento; 5 Star Foodie; Jefferson’s Table; Oyster Culture; Gourmet Fury; Island Vittles; Good Beer & Country Boys; Rubber Slippers In Italy; Color Food daidokoro/Osaka;/a; The Witchy Kitchen; Citron Et Vanille, Lunsj Med Buffet/Estonian Gastronomy (English), Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat, Ideal Party

Please check the new postings at:
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Summer Greetings from Mishima,

It’s been an unusually cool beginning of summer here in Japan; even Mt.Fuji still has a full topping of snow, the likes I’ve not seen before. All in all, a glorious time of year here in Japan and we hope the same to all our gallery followers the world over.

Our Newly Redesigned Website

As many know, we’ve launched a new web gallery with a marvelous new design and format. Part of this newly designed layout is a stand-alone exhibition page and we have our first exhibition all uploaded and ready for viewing!
View the site>

The Kanzaki Shiho Exhibition

Kanzaki Shiho (b.1942) is a living legend for Shigaraki- Iga and he’s known around the world with works in major museums. He’s been featured on the covers of many ceramic magazines (Ceramic Art and Perception #32, Ceramics Monthly Summer ’97, among others) as well as having a recent documentary made about his life.

What is unique about Kanzaki is his firings and the results he gets from a long firing of his anagama; his Buddhist nature also plays a deep part in his works—his home is also a Buddhist Temple. He keeps his forms ‘simple’ to allow the brilliance of the shizen-yu (natural ash-glazes) to dazzle the senses, and that they do! Matched with the richness of the tsuchi-aji (‘clay flavor’) Kanzaki’s works are truly in a class alone for anagama firings.

I visited Kanzaki in late May and selected 20 works, we hope they brighten your day with the brilliance of Kanzaki’s shining shizen-yu.
View Exhibition>

Our Former Online Gallery

Our former online gallery is still alive online and works offered there will slowly make their way to the new gallery, please do bookmark the site at http://www.trocadero.com/japanesepottery/catalog.html . Before they do make the switch I’m taking offers on most works to ease my work load, please email me directly at robert@e-yakimono.net with any queries.

What’s Coming Up

On tap we have a Shimura Noriyuki ‘Power of Myth’ exhibition later in June, and other exhibitions to be announced for the fall. As always new works are listed on the gallery almost each weekday, even I’m not sure what those are each week and that surely keeps things interesting and magical. Newly listed highlight are a huge jar by Uchida Koichi, a tall red painted jar by Wakao Toshidada and a new form from Tanoue Shinya; we hope you enjoy viewing these works along with the Kanzaki Shiho exhibition.

If you have any comments, suggestions, or constructive criticism on the new gallery—of this nifty new e-letter format—please do email me at the email address noted above.

With deep thanks and appreciation for all your interest and support; my staff and I send our best regards from Japan.

Cordially,
Robert Yellin

Yakimono Gallery
3-2-18 Omiya-cho, Mishima-shi, Shizuoka, Japan,411-0035
Google Map

RECOMMENDED RELATED SITES:
Warren Bobrow, Bread + Butter, Zoy Zhang, Hungry Neko, Think Twice, Frank Fariello, Mangantayon, Hapabento, Elinluv Tidbit Corner, Tokyo Terrace, Maison de Christina, Chrys Niles,Lexi, Culinary Musings, Wheeling Gourmet, Comestiblog, Chronicles Of A Curious Cook, Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Palate To Pen, Yellin Yakimono Gallery, Tokyo Terrace, Hilah Cooking, More than a Mount Full, Arkonite Bento, Happy Little Bento; 5 Star Foodie; Jefferson’s Table; Oyster Culture; Gourmet Fury; Island Vittles; Good Beer & Country Boys; Rubber Slippers In Italy; Color Food daidokoro/Osaka;/a; The Witchy Kitchen; Citron Et Vanille, Lunsj Med Buffet/Estonian Gastronomy (English), Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat, Ideal Party

Please check the new postings at:
sake, shochu and sushi

Greetings from Mishima,

The sakura petals have come and gone here in Japan, there was even a photo taken of them with a cozy snow frosting, it’s beenthat cold here this spring. Wherever this may find you, we hopeyour skies are clear.

Finally we have launched our newly designed web gallery! It has the same URL as before at www.japanesepottery.com and is astand-alone site now separate from Trocadero. Our previous
gallery is still viewable at
http://www.trocadero.com/japanesepottery/catalog.html and shallremain there for the time being, to be faded out in the comingmonths. Please note all new listings will be at our new site. As noted, we’ll be slowly phasing out the Trocadero gallery and as such any offers on pieces listed there will be considered for the near future.

Our new design has a crisper feel and the photos pop up in a more
defined manner; please note that when the photos do pop up there
will be a ‘next’ and ‘previous’ button visible at the top thirdof each photo, yet only if you move your mouse there.

Another feature we added is an exhibition page for one-person or group shows. I was in Tokyo yesterday to view the collection of Mr. Ed. Keiths who has decided to return to the US after more than thirty years; we’ll be featuring part of his collection–mostly sake vessels–on the exhibition page next week; the boxes should arrive at the gallery on Monday. He also has a grand collection of Meiji-Showa small clay figures.

Any comments positive or constructive criticism about the new gallery are gladly welcome; as our testimonials for our gallery.
We’d like to add some new ones.

Also, any ceramic treasures sent within the next few weeks will also be accompanied by a pack of Shizuoka green tea as a small way to say thank you so very much.

Many thanks for your continued interest and patronage; assisting in creating small or major collections of the finest Japanese ceramic art past and present, that is our goal.

Cordially,

Robert Yellin
Yukari Niokawa
Mitsuyo Watanabe

www.japanesepottery.com
Email: robert@e-yakimono.net
Gallery located in Mishima, Shizuoka-ken;
please visit anytime when in Japan.

RECOMMENDED RELATED SITES:
Warren Bobrow, Bread + Butter, Zoy Zhang, Hungry Neko, Think Twice, Frank Fariello, Mangantayon, Hapabento, Elinluv Tidbit Corner, Tokyo Terrace, Maison de Christina, Chrys Niles,Lexi, Culinary Musings, Wheeling Gourmet, Comestiblog, Chronicles Of A Curious Cook, Bento Boutique, Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World, Palate To Pen, Yellin Yakimono Gallery, Tokyo Terrace, Hilah Cooking, More than a Mount Full, Arkonite Bento. Island Vittles, Skewer It!

Please check the new postings at:
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Greetings from Mishima,

Just a week or so away….sakura-cherry blossoms; after the long winter in the northern hemisphere I’m sure we’ll all waiting for spring with great welcome. I hope this finds all visitors to our gallery well and finding the blessings in each day.

Here we are getting ready for a major web gallery renewal–great new look and design–and as such will be moving most of our ceramic treasures to the new site over the next weeks. To make life easier–and to offer our clients a rare chance–we’ll be offering EMS delivery with most purchases and also will take offers on any pieces of interest. This offer will last only until we launch the new web site in a few weeks. Please email Robert directly at robert@e-yakimono.net with any questions or such.

Future exhibitions will be announced at the new launch time.

With deep thanks and appreciation from Japan.

Cordially,

Robert Yellin
Yukari Niokawa
Mitsuyo Watanabe

http://www.japanesepottery.com

RECOMMENDED RELATED SITES:
Warren Bobrow, Bread + Butter, Zoy Zhang, Hungry Neko, Think Twice, Frank Fariello, Mangantayon, Hapabento, Elinluv Tidbit Corner, Tokyo Terrace, Maison de Christina, Chrys Niles,Lexi, Culinary Musings, Wheeling Gourmet, Comestiblog, Chronicles Of A Curious Cook, Bento Boutique, Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World, Palate To Pen, Yellin Yakimono Gallery, Tokyo Terrace, Hilah Cooking, More than a Mount Full, Arkonite Bento

Please check the new postings at:
sake, shochu and sushi

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Greetings from Mishima,

As the year 2009 slowly winds down we close our exhibition schedule with a look at 20 of Koinuma Michio’s empowered kabuto–Samurai helmets.

Kabuto are objects with a significant history here in Japan, worn by the warrior class Samurai for protection in battle, they also were symbols of power and clan affiliations; many were also beautifully constructed to resemble works of art.

Nowadays families display model ones during Boy’s Day in the spring in hopes of a strong and healthy future. Each of Koinuma’s helmets has an ancient aura surrounding the darkened patina of each work, as if they were excavated from a lord’s tomb.

The symbolism is strong in each representing character, boldness, humility, honor and courage. Fired in a small wood-burning kiln, each is given a unique firing scheme that can never be duplicated.

Koinuma(b.1936) imparts to all his unique ceramic creations a deep spirituality combined with a pure Japanese aesthetic; he’s been doing this for decades and as such is respected as one of Japan’s most important veteran ceramic artists.

Sizes range from 13 to 23cm.tall and prices are between 100,000-160,000 yen with signed boxes. Each is hollow yet very solid with a good weight and balance; additional photos of any gladly sent upon request. Koinuma’s kabuto are on the web gallery now for viewing and in time for the holidays.

Next year look for a new look to our online gallery; we’ve been working with a great team of web designers and look forward to the debut in early January. Also on tap for 2010 are exhibitions by Nagaoka Masami, jars by Koinuma, colorful Shimura Noriyuki and a rare look at veteran Hirashimizu potter Niwa Ryochi; other exhibitions to be announced.

With any orders through the end of the year we’ll be including a traditional hand cloth called a tenugui that was designed by Ajiki Hiro as a year-end gift.

With much thanks for all your interest and support this year.
Wishing all a very pleasant, enjoyable and healthy holiday season.

Warm regards,

Robert Yellin
HOMEPAGE

RECOMMENDED RELATED SITES:
Warren Bobrow
5 Star Foodie
Think Twice
Frank Fariello

Please check the new postings at:
sake, shochu and sushi

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Greetings from Mishima,

We hope this finds all well and enjoying the wonders of autumn
(here in the northern hemisphere).

As the rain falls here for the past few days, I know magical snow is falling on Mt.Fuji, what a wonder to see when rain stops and the clouds part; I hope to share that wondrous sight in a future online listing! Stay tuned, yet for now it’s Iga time.

We are excited to announce and share previews of our third Fujioka Shuhei exhibition. Iga ceramic artist Fujioka Shuhei (b.1947) possesses the power to make mountains out of clay. He then fires his bold creations in an anagama to ‘fire-brush’ on mossy green, blue and gray natural ash glazes.

These captivating colors contrast and highlight the rich clay flavor and hi-iro (fire color) that Iga is world-renowned for, as well as the koge scorch colors (Iga has three famous keshiki-landscapes of hi-iro, koge and bidoro-glass). Iga is one of those magical medieval styles that speaks volumes of the Zen-inspired ways that are to be found within Tea-pottery; Fujioka understands this. His heart is pure and he loves the earth at his feet, whether it is for his clay works, or the vegetables he grows in the fields. Like potters of old, he too is a farmer and listens to the teachings that nature whispers in his ears. In a nutshell, after graduating college Fujioka went to work for a production kiln in Seto. Yet upon seeing a Ko-Iga piece, he then knew there was no other style for him. He apprenticed with Tanimoto Kosei before establishing his own kiln in 1975.

He’s had countless solo exhibitions throughout Japan and has been featured in numerous publications. Fujioka is to Iga what Harada and Kakurezaki are to Bizen, except without all the awards. He’s a soft-spoken man, humble and deep; all these qualities are in his work as well as an awe-inspiring feel of the power of nature. Fujioka fires a small kiln for three
days and if he gets a one-third success rate for any kiln he feels it’s been a success. The high loss rate is one reason we find so few Iga potters, it’s almost loony–as Fujioka himself says—to work in Iga with all its hurdles and failures. Yet the successes are clay jewels, as you’ll see for yourself in the following links. We are extremely pleased to offer the world a chance to see Fujioka’s Iga world online or here at our Mishima gallery until December 10th.

The exhibition will go online for public viewing on Tuesday of next week, for those who have signed our guest book please see the following hidden preview links. Only minimal details are noted and any extra information or additional photos will gladly be sent upon request. We hope you enjoy the world of one of Iga’s most important ceramic artists today, Fujioka Shuhei:
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23

Also, our gallery was very honored to be the feature in arecent Japan Times article, you can access that here:
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fl20091114a1.html

Kampai and all the best from Japan.

Cordially,

Robert Yellin
HOMEPAGE

RECOMMENDED RELATED SITES:
Warren Bobrow
5 Star Foodie
Think Twice
Frank Fariello

Please check the new postings at:
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Framed photographs by Mishima photographer Okabe Minoru

Greetings from Mishima,

With autumn in the air in this part of our world, the senses are filled with glorious sights and smells as nature prepares for her winter hibernation. We hope this finds all well and also enjoying the season, whatever it may be where you are.

Thanks so much to all who visited our recent Miyao Masahiro exhibition and we continue with the Bizen theme in a very different realm though, namely shizen-nerikomi or natural marbled Bizen. This is the world of Yokoyama Naoki.

Our last Yokoyama exhibition was in May of 2006 and the works offered in the current exhibition were all fired very recently; I went down to his kiln on October 12th to select the works. Most of very much in an autumn tone-themed with rich oranges and browns created from the two or three different toned clay he uses. Yokoyama told me it takes 10 times more labor to make his shizen-nerikomi compared to regular Bizen. The forms range from very strong and stoic to more organic and natural; the larger rectangular forms acting as a canvas for the rich clay landscapes. Some of the cups and guinomi are of a black Bizen marbled type that was achieved by placing the works in
saggar-fire-proof casings and then adding charcoal towards the end of the firing. Each piece was carefully selected and as you’ll see in the following exhibition preview links Yokoyama is a superb Bizen ceramic artist taking Bizen in brilliant directions with his unique vision of marbled Bizen. (There are a few yohen Bizen and other non-marbled Bizen works to be seen as well.)

Yokoyama (b.1970) lives in the hills of Bizen where he established his kiln in 2000. Before that he studied with Kawabata Fumio and at the Bizen Pottery Center. His works have been accepted into juried exhibitions that include the Tanabe Museum’s Contemporary Tea Forms exhibition, Okayama Prefecture Art exhibition, Japan Traditional Arts and Crafts Chugoku region exhibition, Japan Ceramic Art exhibition and the Japan Traditional Arts and Crafts National exhibition, some of these
numerous times. As with Miyao, Yokoyama is an extremely talented
Bizen ceramic artist and one who’s star will surely rise even higher.

The hidden preview links are below, additional photos of any work gladly sent on request and the exhibition will go online for public viewing this Friday:
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19.

Enjoy!

With deep thanks and appreciation from Mishima.
Sincerely,

Robert Yellin
HOMEPAGE

3-2-18 Omiya-cho, Mishima-shi, Shizuoka-ken
Phone: 81-559-91-5388
Fax: 81-559-91–5387

RECOMMENDED RELATED SITES:
Warren Bobrow
5 Star Foodie
Think Twice
Frank Fariello

Please check the new postings at:
sake, shochu and sushi

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Greetings from Mishima,

We hope this finds you well and enjoying the autumn season. Here in Japan it’s the Season of Culture–and great food and drink–with many exhibitions and events planned throughout the islands. Here in Mishima we’re starting our autumn exhibition season with Miyao Masahiro, an emerging-important Bizen ceramic artist who recently fired and unloaded his autumn kiln.

Robert was the first to see–and select–the newly fired works and we offer here in our preview pages the chance to acquire one or more of the 60 works, ranging from cups to large vessels.

Miyao Masahiro was born in 1970 in Fukuoka prefecture on the southern island of Kyushu. Even from his boyhood he knew he wanted to ‘play with clay and fire’ and become a Bizen ceramic artist. With that goal in mind he dropped out of university in 1991 and headed to Bizen to apprentice with Okayama Intangible Cultural Property Yamamoto Yuichi (son of Living National Treasure Yamamoto Toshu 1906-1994).

Miyao established his own kiln a few kilometers outside of Bizen in 2001. His star has been on the rise ever since with awards won at prestigious events such as the Japan Traditional Arts and Crafts exhibition, which was the JTAC Chairman’s Award and Miyao is only the third Bizen potter ever to win this award. Other awards were garnered at the Contemporary Tea Forms Exhibition at the Tanabe Museum and at the JTAC Chukoku Exhibition where he was awarded the Okayama City Mayor’s Award, and the Okayama Culture Exhibition where he won the Runner-up Grand Prix. All of these in a very short time span.
Easy to see why.

His forms are fresh and engaging, combined with his superb firings we have a rising star. He does all the classic Bizen styles including the highly prized ‘kiln change’ yohen, dripping sesame goma, scarlet hidasuki rice cord markings and his addition of pine ash on some works to add a new ‘landscape’ to his works; we offer all these styles in this exhibition.

The preview hidden links are below and all details on each piece can be found under the photos in the captions. Additional photos or details on any work will gladly be sent upon request to:
robert@e-yakimono.net
The exhibition will be available for public viewing in a few days, for now those who have signed our guest book—thank you–are offered previews here:

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14

Our future exhibitions before the year ends include a look Iga’s Fujioka Shuhei, Bizen by Yokoyama Naoki, and a few large Shodai plates by Inoue Taishu that were exhibited at the Kumamoto Prefectural Museum of Art. Also on the horizon Wakimoto and Harada of Bizen with about a dozen works each. Of course, each weekday we continue to offer new works by many various artists working in many styles; we hope you visit us here in Mishima or online

With thanks and appreciation as always and all the best from apan.

Sincerely,

Robert Yellin
HOMEPAGE

3-2-18 Omiya-cho, Mishima-shi, Shizuoka-ken
Phone: 81-559-91-5388
Fax: 81-559-91–5387

RECOMMENDED RELATED SITES:
Warren Bobrow
5 Star Foodie
Think Twice
Frank Fariello

Please check the new postings at:
sake, shochu and sushi

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日本語のブログ
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