Sake Bottle

Yasuhisa Kohyama's vessels encompass the worlds of both functional craft-ware and fine-art clay sculpture. In this vessel for holding and serving sake (rice wine), Kohyama underscores his respect for pottery that is easy to use in daily life while also employing distinctive shapes and a formal dignity that allows it to be appreciated as a fine art piece.

Kohyama was born in Shigaraki, one of the most important historical ceramic centers in Japan. Despite his origins, he has embraced other historic Japanese ceramic traditions, most notably the country's first high-fired sue stoneware made during the Kofun period (circa 3rd–7th century). Archaeological excavations in the region of Japan where Kohyama lived first brought this distinctive gray stoneware to public attention in the 1960s and 70s.

As iterated in this work, Kohyama's perfected the understated and barely glazed, dry surfaces of sue ceramics. In addition, this particular sake pitcher is clearly indebted to Kofun period ceramic shapes (compare the Kofun ritual pitcher in this case). How has Kohyama refined his form to distinguish it from the ancient ritual pitcher?