Blue and white porcelain silver-colored pottery Kazuhiro Matsukawa

Blue and white porcelain silver-glazed ceramic box by Kazuhiro Matsukawa (W: 11.7cm D: 3.5cm H: 4.2cm)
-- "A layer of silver embraces the pale blue still water. Light and space are contained within a long, narrow box."

Ⅰ The ceramic box: a tool of lines

Before being a container for storing things, a ceramic box is a container for regulating one's behavior. The moment the lid is shifted and the opening fits together, the air becomes still. When opened, the empty space inside is revealed, and even the presence of the contents inside becomes clear.
What is particularly striking about this piece is its proportions: a long, slender rectangle (W11.7 x D3.5). The box defines the space with lines rather than surfaces. Although it is a small box, the moment it is placed, it gives direction to the space, drawing the eye smoothly through it. The "modest yet definite presence" of tea ceremony implements is neatly embodied in this shape.

II. Blue-and-white porcelain: "Clearer than white, softer than blue" - inner space

2-1 Pale blue that spreads inside: Purifies what is stored inside

Removing the lid reveals a pale blue still water. The blue-and-white porcelain does not speak through color, but rather softly absorbs and gently diffuses light, creating a pure background .
The long, slender shape gives the interior space a sense of flow, further accentuating the tranquility of the pale blue. When delicate items such as fragrant wood, small tea utensils, seals, or crafts are placed inside, the vessel subtly highlights them rather than making a strong statement.

2-2 Slight temperature visible at the joint line

A line running along the boundary between the body and lid reveals a subtle, pale orange hue resulting from the firing process. Rather than being completely pristine, traces of the flame and the hands remain as a "single ray of heat." This subtle difference breathes life into the ascetic world of blue-and-white porcelain, making the box a living thing.

III. Ginsai: The Outside as a "Layer of Light"

3-1 Silver is not a mirror, but a brushstroke-like shine

The silver glaze in this piece does not have a metallic, sparkling, reflective quality. In the photograph, horizontal lines resembling brushstrokes can be seen on the surface, and the light is not reflected by the surface, but is instead softly received as layers.
This line echoes the shape of the long, slender box, giving the vessel a "quiet speed." The silver flows in layers of light, and in contrast to the still water of the pale blue porcelain, it creates a sense of clarity rather than coldness.

3-2 Contrast of Silver and Blue: Protecting on the Outside, Enveloping on the Inside

The silver glaze on the outside has a hard feel reminiscent of stone or moonlight, while the blue-and-white porcelain on the inside has a soft white space reminiscent of water or air.
The combination of these two allows the box to simultaneously "protect" and "enclose." When closed, it appears compact, and when open, it appears breathable—the beauty of the box form is made even clearer by the contrast in materials.

IV. The Art of Form: Elegance Created by Slenderness

If square and cubic boxes give a sense of "completion," this piece gives a sense of "lingering impression." Its long, slender shape stretches the white space when placed in a space, creating a quiet center among the tools.
The corners are neatly finished, and the ridges are neither too sharp nor too soft. The overall piece has a restrained elegance, preventing the grain of the silver glaze from standing out too strongly. Kazuhiro Matsukawa's sculptures always lie on the border between "strength" and "modesty," and this piece also achieves a wonderful balance.

V. Combinations and uses - A place for fragrant wood, seals, and crafts

Its dimensions naturally suggest its use for storing small items related to fragrant wood and incense packets, seals, crafts, or small utensils for the tea ceremony.
In terms of seasonal feeling, it looks particularly beautiful during times of "cold transparency," such as the crispness of winter, the thin ice of early spring, and the clear night air of autumn. The silver glaze acts as frost and the moon, while the pale blue porcelain balances the space with water and air. Simply placing this box in the space will brighten it up a notch.

summary

The blue-and-white porcelain silver-glazed ceramic box by Matsukawa Kazuhiro (W11.7 x D3.5 x H4.2) is a tranquil and refined ceramic box that combines the beauty of lines created by its slender proportions with the still water of the blue-and-white porcelain and the layered light of the silver glaze. When closed, the silver tightens the space, and when opened, a pale blue space appears, purifying even the presence of the contents.
Although it is a small box, it has the power to change the density of space - a work that embodies Matsukawa Kazuhiro's unique "design of tranquility."

Biography

1977 Born in Kawachinagano, Osaka Prefecture
1998 Graduated from Nara College of Arts, Ceramic Art Course
2000 Graduated from Nara College of Arts
2001 Graduated from Kyoto Prefectural Pottery Technical College and studied under Takahiro Kondo
2006 Independent and opened a kiln in Kawachinagano City

Major solo exhibitions and exhibitions

2007 Kyoto Prefecture Fine Arts and Crafts New Artists Selection Exhibition (Kyoto Museum)
Two-person exhibition (Matsuzakaya Nagoya Art Gallery/Nagoya)
Solo exhibition (Kyoto Takashimaya Art and Craft Salon/Kyoto)
2008 Solo Exhibition (Campanule/Chiba)
Solo exhibition (Paramita Museum Small Gallery/Mie)
2009 Solo Exhibition (Gallery Espace/Nagoya)
2010 Solo Exhibition (Sapporo Mitsukoshi Art Gallery/Hokkaido)
Solo exhibition (Matsuzakaya Nagoya Art Gallery/Nagoya)
Solo exhibition (Alpark Tenmaya Art Gallery/Hiroshima)
2011 Solo Exhibition (Ceramics Gallery Furyo/Osaka) ('07)
2012 Solo Exhibition (Gallery Okumura/Tokyo) ('07 '09)
2013 Solo Exhibition (Lovely Hall 20th Anniversary Event/Osaka)
2014 Solo Exhibition (Tenmaya Hiroshima Hatchobori Art Gallery/Hiroshima) ('11)
2016 Solo Exhibition (Tenmaya Fukuyama Art Gallery/Hiroshima) ('08 '12)
Three-person exhibition (Hakata Hankyu Muse/Fukuoka)
2017 Solo Exhibition (Pinacotheca / Tokyo) ('14 '15)
Solo exhibition (Tenmaya Okayama Art Gallery/Okayama) ('08)
Solo exhibition (Atelier Hiro/Osaka)
2018 Solo Exhibition (Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi Main Store Art Gallery/Tokyo)
Solo exhibition (Takashimaya Osaka Gallery NEXT/Osaka) ('08 '11 '15)
2020 Solo Exhibition (Hana Asagi/Tokyo)
2021 Solo Exhibition (Gallery Tachibana/Nara) ('15 '17 '19)
2022 Two-person exhibition (Hana Asagi/Tokyo)
2023 Two-person exhibition (Atelier Hiro/Osaka)
2025 Two-person exhibition (Hana Asagi/Tokyo)
Solo exhibition (Midorigaoka Museum of Art/Nara)

Awards

36th Japan Traditional Crafts Kinki Exhibition (Osaka Prefecture Board of Education Award)
55th Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition (Japan Crafts Association President's Award)

Public Collection

Midorigaoka Museum of Art