Blue and white porcelain silver-glazed incense burner by Kazuhiro Matsukawa

Blue-and-white porcelain silver-glazed incense burner by Kazuhiro Matsukawa (diameter: 11.2 cm, height: 12.0 cm)
-- "A silver nebula dwells in the pale tranquility. A modern purity, with the scent of fragrance sealed within a sphere."

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Ⅰ Incense vessels as "sculptures of presence"

An incense burner is not only a tool for burning incense, but also a device that gives the invisible fragrance a "shape" in space . Incense rises as smoke and eventually disappears. However, the incense burner captures this fleeting phenomenon, adjusting the intensity, spread, and lingering aftertaste of the fragrance, and determining the rhythm of the tea ceremony.
Matsukawa Kazuhiro's "Blue and White Porcelain Silver-Decorated Incense Burner" not only has the functionality required of an incense burner, but also displays a high level of perfection in its form - it is truly a work that could be called a "sculpture of presence."

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II. Blue-and-white porcelain: A "deeper, quieter white" than white porcelain

2-1 Pale-white color: not cold, but clear and transparent

The pale blue porcelain in this piece is a white with a slight blue tinge, which is different from pure white porcelain. Rather than being cold, it has a crystal clear transparency like the surface of water . When light hits the piece, faint shadows slide along the gradient of the surface, and the body of the vessel stands out as a layer of light rather than as a simple "white" piece.
The clarity of blue-and-white porcelain is an excellent match for tools that handle the invisible substance of incense, and the moment it is placed in the room, it subtly lowers the temperature and creates a sense of calm.

2-2 The spherical volume creates stable breathing

What is striking about this piece is the rounded, almost spherical body. Its angular volume draws the eye and soothes the senses. In the tea ceremony, roundness often symbolizes "softness," but Matsukawa Kazuhiro's roundness is not sweet, but rather a balance that contains tension . Even before the incense rises, the vessel itself is already a reference point of tranquility—the power of its design is palpable.

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III. Ginsai - "Another skin" that glows quietly like moonlight

3-1 The role of Ginsai: not just decoration, but a film that reflects the passage of time

The silver glaze on this piece is not simply a gorgeous decoration. While silver strongly reflects light, its appearance changes dramatically depending on the light source and the angle from which it is viewed, sometimes appearing subdued and sometimes sparkling. In other words, the silver glaze is a film that reflects the time of day (illumination, twilight, night light) on the vessel.
The silver glaze creates a "faint light" that resonates with the serenity of the pale blue porcelain, giving the entire incense vessel a moon-like presence . Clear in the day, mysterious at night. The fact that its appearance changes depending on the conditions of the setting is also one of the reasons why this piece never gets old as a tool.

3-2 A nebula-like landscape created by delicate unevenness

The silver glaze surface has an extremely fine, granular appearance. Rather than a uniform mirror surface, the subtle undulations cause light to scatter in spots, giving it a nebula-like expanse . In contrast to the smooth stillness of the pale blue porcelain, the silver glaze has a murmuring (however extremely minimal) presence on all sides, and the work simultaneously embraces two periods of time: stillness and slight movement.

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IV. Shape and Function - To ensure a well-balanced fragrance

4-1 Lid and watermark: Adjusting the flow of aroma

The top is fitted with a lid with a knob, and the openwork (opening in the fire pit) guides the incense to escape. Incense is not best when it is sprayed forcefully; it is most beautiful when it rises quietly, evenly, and in a thin stream . The openwork in this piece regulates the flow of the incense, slowing the rate at which it spreads throughout the space.
An incense burner is not the "fragrance itself" but a tool that controls "how the fragrance is released." In that sense, this design makes perfect sense.

4-2 Three legs: Cleanliness obtained by slightly lifting it off the floor

The base is supported by three legs, allowing the vessel to float slightly off the floor. This "slight floating" is a crucial feature of the incense vessel. Fragrances tend to rise upwards, and by having the vessel raised from the floor, the incense rises more naturally, both visually and psychologically.
At the same time, the legs cast a shadow, giving the spherical volume a sense of light and sharpness . Quiet yet strong—this balance is supported by the design of the legs.

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V. Echoing with History - Pale and Silver, the Lineage of Purity

Even within the lineage of white porcelain, pale blue porcelain exudes a particularly clear quality. By adding the modern element of silver glaze to this work, it maintains the purity of the classics while achieving a tension befitting a modern space.
The tea ceremony is not a world where gold and silver are needlessly flaunted. However, allowing the minimum amount of light—such as moonlight—to be concentrated in a single point actually deepens the sense of serenity. The silver glaze on this piece is exactly that, letting a ray of light shine into the stillness without disturbing the silence of the pale blue porcelain.

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VI About the artist: Kazuhiro Matsukawa (biography, exhibition history, awards)

Kazuhiro Matsukawa studied ceramics at Nara College of Arts, and after graduating from the Kyoto Prefectural Pottery Technical College, he studied under Takahiro Kondo . In 2006, he went independent and opened a kiln in Kawachinagano City. Since then, he has held numerous solo exhibitions, including at department stores and art museums, and has built a solid reputation, winning the Japan Crafts Council President's Award at the 55th Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition. The tranquility of blue-and-white porcelain, the subtle glow of silver glaze, and the precision of form—his ability to perfectly combine these elements is the culmination of years of study and discerning aesthetic sense.

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

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summary

The blue-and-white porcelain silver-glazed incense burner by Matsukawa Kazuhiro combines the purity of the blue-and-white color with the faint light of the silver glaze into a nearly spherical shape. It deepens the sense of serenity, reflects the light, and regulates the release of the incense. When placed at a tea ceremony, the scent will not overpower the space, but will certainly clarify the contours of the space and gently awaken the senses of your guests.