One blue porcelain wheel Masao Tagai

Width: 9cm x 9cm Height: 11.3cm

This piece is a single-flower vase with a free-flowing form reminiscent of natural stone, clad in a pale "rain-filled blue" glaze reminiscent of the clear skies after rain. The body was intentionally crushed during the wheel-throwing process, and then hand-twisted to create unevenness, creating organic shadows evoking the undulations of rock surfaces and the traces of water droplets. The rim is intentionally left irregular, allowing the silver-gray iron rim to peek out from under the thin glaze, giving a solemn outline to the tranquil blue world.

Glaze and firing techniques

Rain turns blue
He adjusts the iron powder , fires the piece at a high temperature under reduced pressure, and then switches to an oxidizing atmosphere only towards the end, a process known as "reduction." This produces a clear blue color without any reddish tinge, and creates a slight milky layer within the glaze, giving it depth.

Ice cracks, crazes and iron spots <br data-start="682" data-end="685">The difference in the expansion coefficient between the clay and the glaze layer is kept extremely small, suppressing noticeable crazes, but glaze pools form in the recesses, revealing fine crazes and iron spots. Over the years, water from flowers and moisture in the air creates a haze, and the scenery develops.

Mirror Finish <br data-start="796" data-end="799">After firing, a low-temperature reduction fire is applied to re-melt the surface of the glaze, resulting in a soft reflection and a moist luster that clings to your hand.

Beauty and History

By deliberately layering randomness and unnatural movement on the refined serenity of celadon, Masao Tagai has expressed "vitality residing in stillness" - this has been his theme in recent years. Based on the subtle blue of the Song Dynasty Longquan kilns, he has given a modern interpretation to the "wabi (simple beauty) of appreciating the scenery" nurtured by Japanese tea ceremony ceramics, elevating it into forms reminiscent of natural stone.

In the alcove, the vessels are placed on a black lacquered stand or old wood board, and slanting light is shone on them to highlight the uneven shadows, making the vessels' appearance even more beautiful.

Viewing points

Flickering light reflected on the uneven surface <br data-start="1401" data-end="1404">When light is shone on it from an angle, the reflection fluctuates like the surface of water, and the shade of the blue glaze changes from moment to moment.

The iron rim and iron dots give it a refined feel . The black dots on the rim and body tighten the blue, gently evoking the appearance of antique celadon.

Growing Scenery <br data-start="1519" data-end="1522">The crazing fades with the addition of flower water and the passage of time, and the vessel changes as it breathes with its owner.

This piece, "Seipin Ichirin," is a vessel that embodies a "living landscape," where the serenity of the clear blue, the dynamism of hand-twisting, and the wabi aesthetic of the iron rim and iron dots coexist. Simply inserting a single flower will breathe fresh air into the space, and the gradual change in the vessel's surface over the years will become a story all its own. We hope you will treasure this piece for many years to come, and enjoy the changing colors of the celadon along with the flowers of the seasons.