A Large Iga Tsubo by Master Ceramicist Tsujimura Shiro


Artist:Tsujimura ShiroEra:ContemporaryPrice:SoldInquire:info@shirakuragallery.com

An exceptionally large work by one of the most important contemporary ceramic artists in Japan. Collected widely both here and abroad, a favorite of Daitoku temple in Kyoto who hold a number of his works. Pieces by this artist are held internationally by museums including: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Stockholm Museum of Art, and the Urasenke Chado Research Center, Miho Museum.

Trained in a Zen temple before becoming a potter, Tsujimura Shiro (b. 1947) is not your typical craftsman. Self-trained in the clay arts and accomplished in a number of styles, he takes a more philosophic approach to the transformation of raw earth into works of art. Many observers of Tsujimura’s process comment that his lack of formal training actually servers him well in that he is not constrained by traditional rules of form, texture, and use of materials. Through his Zen training and his innate appreciation for nature, he is able to play with the resources and materials he has on hand to put into form his vision of beauty. Seemingly unconcerned with how any individual work may come out of the kiln, this quote by Tsujimura may help encapsulate his feelings about the creative process: “To think about too many things or to spend all your time reflecting doesn’t help to make a successful object. Success comes when it comes, it fails when it fails.”  I hope you agree that the piece we offer up for you here today is one of his great successes.

In perfect condition, this masterfully crafted oo-tsubo (large vessel) is 17.5 inches at its widest point (44 cm) and stands 17.5 inches tall (44 cm). Tsujimura’s signature can be seen etched near the top opening and the vase comes housed in its original wood box signed and sealed by the artist.