Plate
Itō Sekisui V Japanese
Not on view
This large rectangular plate, with a variant of checkered pattern in contrasting colors of clay, is a product of the Sekisui family kiln in Aikawa, on Sado Island. The artist, Itō Sekisui V, is the 14th generation craftsman in a family of potters; he was designated a Living National Treasure by the Japanese government in 2003. Like his Itō family predecessors, he works with a type of ochre clay called mumyōi, a byproduct of Sado Island’s gold mines. Red mumyōi clay contains a high level of iron oxide and fires to a deep rusty-red shade, as seen in this vessel. Sekisui is a skilled master of neriage, one of his signature techniques, which involves kneading or wedging different colored clays together and then slicing cross sections to reveal a marbled pattern. The sliced clay is then pieced together, resulting in ceramics that have the appearance almost of painted wares.
This artwork is meant to be viewed from right to left. Scroll left to view more.