Hokusai Red Fuji Sake Cup by Kosai Miyagawa

Height: 6.5cm Width: 4.5cm

A conversation with Kosai Miyagawa

"Imitation Hokusai Red Fuji Sake Cup by Miyagawa Kosai" is an artwork inspired by "Fine Wind, Clear Weather (Red Fuji)", one of the illustrations in the "Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji" series, a masterpiece by the ukiyo-e artist Katsushika Hokusai. This sake cup is a work of art created by the potter Miyagawa Kosai using his techniques, based on the theme of "Red Fuji", which is considered to be particularly auspicious in Japanese culture.

The symbolism of Red Fuji

"Red Fuji" refers to the rare appearance of Mt. Fuji that can only be seen in the early morning on clear days from summer to autumn. In particular, paintings depicting the moment when Mt. Fuji turns red in the morning sun in late summer when there is no snow on the peak and a southerly wind is blowing are called "Red Fuji." Mt. Fuji has always been a symbol of Japan, and the color red has long been believed to have the power to ward off evil, so Red Fuji has a particularly strong meaning as a lucky charm . Compared to the regular Blue Fuji, Red Fuji's auspicious nature has led it to be deeply rooted in Japanese culture as a symbol of longevity, happiness, and prosperity.

Katsushika Hokusai and "Fine Wind, Clear Sky"

Katsushika Hokusai's work "Fine Wind, Clear Morning," popularly known as "Red Fuji," was published in 1831 as part of his masterpiece, "Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji." "Fine wind" means south wind, and this work depicts Mount Fuji shining red in the morning sun on an early morning in late summer when a southerly wind is blowing. The work is characterized by its extreme perspective and the vivid colors that are unique to woodblock prints, beautifully capturing the momentary appearance of the red Mount Fuji. Hokusai used his unique technique to depict Mount Fuji on an overwhelming scale, and the bold composition had a great influence not only on the people of his time but also on Western artists.

The Influence of Hokusai and "Japonism"

Hokusai's work also had a major impact on the Western art world. For example, impressionist painters such as Claude Monet and Vincent van Gogh were greatly inspired by Hokusai's bold compositions, vivid colors, and unique perspective. Monet in particular was inspired by Hokusai's Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji series, and adopted a technique of painting a single theme in a series of paintings that corresponded to the change of time and seasons. This influence was one of the factors that led to the growing interest in Japanese culture known as "Japonism" in 19th century Europe, creating a new trend in the Western art world.

Miyagawa Kosai and the tradition of Makuzu ware

He is a ceramic artist who inherits the traditional Kyoto pottery techniques that have been passed down since the Edo period, and his works are particularly known as "Makuzu ware." Makuzu ware is one of the Kyoto pottery techniques, and was started by Yukan Miyagawa Kobee Masakazu during the Jokyo era (1684-1687). Since then, the Miyagawa family has continued to produce mainly sencha tea utensils and tea ceremony utensils, and continues to protect the tradition to this day.

Makuzu ware is characterized by the beautiful color of the glaze and the careful craftsmanship. In particular, the straw ash glaze has been handed down from generation to generation, and this technique is what gives Makuzu ware its unique beauty. This glaze gives the pieces a rich color, and the pottery produced by Miyagawa Kosai is highly regarded both in Japan and overseas.

Technique and aesthetics of Hokusai's Red Fuji Sake Cup

"Imitation Hokusai Red Fuji Sake Cup" is a work by Miyagawa Kosai that reproduces Hokusai's "Fine Wind, Clear Morning" in the form of a ceramic sake cup. This sake cup incorporates the colorful and bold composition of Hokusai's painting of Mt. Fuji, and is beautifully combined with the traditional techniques of the Miyagawa family's Makuzu ware. The design on the sake cup is not simply painted, but makes full use of the three-dimensional shape and glaze effect to make the viewer feel the grandeur and beauty of Mt. Fuji.

The theme of Red Fuji has long been popular in Japan as an auspicious motif, and this sake cup is often used at celebratory events and important occasions. It is believed that the strength and divinity of Red Fuji will bring happiness and longevity to those who hold the sake cup, making this a work of art as well as practical use.

Hokusai and Miyagawa Kosai: Commonalities between art and nature

Katsushika Hokusai and Miyagawa Kosai share a commonality in that they use nature as their subject matter and express it from their own unique perspective. Just as Hokusai captured the beauty of nature in a moment and expressed it in a bold composition, Miyagawa Kosai has succeeded in expressing the beauty of nature in a three-dimensional form through pottery. Hokusai's painting of Red Fuji is not just a landscape painting, but one can sense the dialogue and coexistence between nature and humans. Similarly, the sake cups made by Miyagawa Kosai are not just vessels, but are a part of nature that is cut out and brought into everyday life, and they deeply move the user.

Global recognition and inheritance for the future

Makuzu ware is highly acclaimed both in Japan and overseas, and is housed in the Victoria & Albert Museum in London and the Japanese Permanent Mission to UNESCO in Paris. In particular, Makuzu ware has been highly acclaimed in the United States, France, China, and other countries in recent years, and is attracting worldwide attention among Japanese ceramic arts. The Makuzu ware techniques he inherits are not just a preservation of traditional techniques, but also a pursuit of new beauty that appeals to modern sensibilities. Through his hands, Hokusai's artistic heritage will be revived in the form of pottery and passed on to the future. This work is a masterpiece that combines Hokusai's great art with the traditional techniques of the Miyagawa family. By recreating the auspicious motif of Red Fuji in the form of pottery, this work is a wonderful harmony between Japanese tradition and modern beauty. By holding this sake cup in our hands, we can simultaneously feel the grandeur of Mt. Fuji, Hokusai's artistic perspective, and Miyagawa Kosai's outstanding technique.