253. WATANABE Takuma 渡邊琢磨, 1968- , Bizen shuki 備前酒器 (Bizen-ware drink server), “Mirai no kaseki” ミライノカセキ (Future fossils) series, no. 151
For Watanabe, see item no. 231.
Red clay, unglazed, with kiln effect colors in the dark reddish brown and dark gray colors. Weight: 292 g (10 oz). Height: 8.5 cm (3-3/8 in). Length: 15 cm (6 in). Width: 9 cm (3-5/8 in).
This sits on a flat, circular base, 3.8 cm (1-1/2 in) in diameter. The center of the base is a shallow concavity. The artist’s sigil was incised into this area (see item 252 for the sigil). The body is egg-shaped with a katakuchi-style pouring spout. The egg is roughly 10.7 cm (4-1/4 in) long. The spout is located about three-fourths of the way up the body. As with other pieces in the Future Fossils series, the surface decoration copies features of old machinery. The surface is divided by faint lines into “plates” held together by screws. Protruding from the surface are molded switches, dials, conduits, braided cords, vents, and meters. A rectangular label inscribed “S 151” identifies this piece’s place in the series. The exterior texture is smooth; the interior has a grain like medium sandpaper.
Fired unglazed. Most of the surface is a uniform dark gray. The bottom and the back side are a dark red. The piece was probably fired with the spout facing the heat and ash flow.
This came in a wooden box inscribed by Watanabe in two lines: 備前酒器 / 琢磨 Bizen shuki / Takuma (Bizen-ware drink server / Takuma), followed by the artist’s seal stamped in red (the seal has the seal form of the character 琢). Included in the box were a dark blue wrapping cloth and a potted biography.
Purchased from Kura Monzen Gallery in Kyoto, Japan, June 2024 (invoice, shipping and customs documents)
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