Ceramic box by Toshinari Ichino

"Ceramic box by Toshinari Ichino"

Height: 8.8 cm Width: 8.2 cm

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I. Work Overview: Tanba Modernism, where "straight lines and curves" resonate with each other

This ceramic box was created by Ichino Toshinari, a next-generation Tamba Tachikui artist. The neat, cubic body is enveloped in a lustrous black glaze, and a vermilion lid forms a soft outline on top. The stillness created by the straight lines and the fluctuation contained in the curves are in balance within this single piece, making it a minimalist yet powerful piece.

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II. Color and texture: The contrast between jet black glaze and red clay cover

Body (black glaze)

The iron-rich Tanba red clay is covered with a black glaze made from a mixture of pine ash and iron, then fired in a climbing kiln at a reduction temperature of around 1,280°C. The flickering flames leave brown "runs" here and there, creating a shadow that is not simply black, but ranges from deep dark brown to jet black .

Lid (red clay unglazed)

While taking advantage of the vermilion color of the base material, the edges are rounded off to create an organic form that resembles melted wax that has solidified. The rectangular prism that rises from the center is a sharp accent that matches the straight lines of the body.

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III. Explanation of techniques: precise board making and high-temperature firing

Plate making and molding

The clay boards are precisely cut and then joined together while reducing distortion by chamfering the corners. Toshinari completes this highly challenging process unique to boxes without even the slightest error.

Unglazed and glazed

After bisque firing at 800℃, the inside and outside of the body are coated with black glaze. The lid is polished without any glaze, and is designed to allow the iron in the clay surface to oxidize and develop its color.

Honyaki

The reduction is gradually strengthened for about 30 hours in a climbing kiln to bring out the luster of the black glaze while vividly fixing the vermilion clay of the lid. The key is to adjust the temperature while taking into account the difference in shrinkage of the joints.

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Ⅳ. Background of the design: Protection and storage in the "box"

Since ancient times, boxes have been used to store and protect valuable items such as incense, medicine, and sutras. The cube that closes the box on all four sides symbolizes a "barrier" that keeps the contents inside pure, while also carrying a magical meaning that blocks out impurities from the outside world. While keeping this traditional design in mind, Toshinari-sama has elevated it to a modern form with the contrast of yin and yang in black and vermilion .

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V. Uses and enjoyment - Highly flexible containerable art

Jikiro (food basket) used at the tea ceremony : When dried sweets are placed in it, the red lid makes the colors of the sweets stand out.

Incense box : This box can hold fragrant wood or paste incense, allowing you to enjoy the changing fragrance every time you open the lid.

Trinket box/jewelry box : The linear interior space makes it easy to organize, and the jet black glaze brings out the beauty of your gold and silver accessories.

Flower vase : If you remove the lid and place a flower spike, the small flowers will be reflected in the mirror-like surface of the black glaze, creating a dignified scene.

Collection value - rarity as a usable object

Boxes, which maintain perfect parallelism of the cube while controlling the difference in shrinkage caused by the thickness of the glaze, are difficult to produce and are extremely limited in number. In addition, the duet of black glaze and red clay is a design that can be said to be Toshinari's unique signature. This work is a representative "cube box" from the artist's early period and could become an important benchmark for tracing his future career.

"Ceramic Box by Ichino Toshinari" is a serene container art woven with the depth of Tanba clay and geometric shapes. What to put in it, where to place it - the user's sensibility determines the infinite stories that can be told. Please take it into your hands and enjoy the shadows created by the contrast between black and vermilion, and the texture that increases with age, in your daily life.