224. FURUTANI Taketoshi, 1974­- , small flat-sided Shigaraki vase

224. FURUTANI Taketoshi 古谷剛敏,  1974­- , Shigaraki shizenyū  hen hanaire  信楽自然釉扁花入 (flat-sided Shigaraki vase with natural ash glazing)

For the artist, see item no. 218.

Gray clay, with natural ash glazing, with colors in the reddish brown, gray and black range, with vitrified green glass-like glaze in one spot on the right side. Weight: 518 g (1.2 lb). Height: 8.8 cm (3-1/2 in). Width: 8.8 cm (3-1/2 in). 

This consists of two rough squares forming the front and back of the piece. The edges of each square are irregular and much pitted and grooved. The sides and top and bottom are rectangular; each is inset from the edges of the front and back by around 0.4 cm (1/8 in plus). The corners where the sides meet the top and bottom are rounded. The piece sits on the lower edges of the front and back squares. The inset bottom is inscribed with the potter’s mark; the small sticker with the number 23 is from the exhibition of the Furutani family's works at the Kura Monzen Gallery in Kyoto in 2023. The surface of the front was gouged and slashed; The part that is reddish brown is more deeply incised than the gray parts. The right-hand side between the front and back walls is smoother and more level than the rest of the piece. The back is marked by three diagonal passes of a spatula-like tool and is much pitted and rough. The left-hand side between the front and back sides is, like the right-hand side, relatively smooth. The rim around the mouth is 3.2 x 2.3 cm (1-1/4 x 7/8 in) and 0.3 cm (1/8 in) high; the mouth is 1.9 x 1.6 cm (3/4 x 5/8 in). 

The wood-firing resulted in colors in the reddish-brown, gray, and black ranges, with natural ash glazing in patches on all sides. There is a small green-colored bidoro tear on the right-hand side. The portions of the front that are red in color are deeper than the gray areas; the edges of this area are sharp and distinct. 

The piece came in a wooden box, with an inscription by the artist. Included in the box was an orange wrapping cloth and a printed sheet containing the artist’s biography. The inscription on the box reads from right to left: 信楽  Shigaraki 自然釉 shizenyū (natural ash glaze) 扁花入 hen hanaire (small vase) 剛敏 Taketoshi, followed by the artist’s seal stamped in red. 

Purchased from the Kura Monzen Gallery, Kyoto, Japan, July 2023 (invoice, shipping and customs documents)