Incense Burner

1970s

Not on view

The incense burner by Suzuki Osamu features a foliate-shaped lid, ringed with "petals," and a cylindrical body supported by smaller, petal-shaped "feet" that surround the circumference of the base. The entire piece is covered with a translucent pale blue celadon glaze. One of the most representative potters of post-war Japan, Suzuki was born in the Gojō-zaka district of Kyoto. Trained in pottery throwing techniques by his father from an early age, he decided to become a ceramic artist after World War II, and established the avantgarde ceramist group Sōdeisha ("Crawling through mud") in 1948, along with other young talented artists such as Yagi Kazuo and Yamada Hikaru, to develop a new sculptural expression in clay. The bluish-white porcelain (seihakuji) also form part of Suzuki’s repertoire and features the same themes as his muted, abstract Shigaraki forms as well as some functional pieces such as vases and bowls.

Artwork Details

Overview

Provenance

References

Title: Incense Burner
Artist: Suzuki Osamu (Japanese, 1926–2001)
Period: Shōwa period (1926–89)
Date: 1970s
Culture: Japan
Medium: Porcelain with celadon glaze
Dimensions: H. 5 in. (12.7 cm); Diam. 3 3/4 in. (9.5 cm)
Classification: Ceramics
Credit Line: Gift of Samuel and Gabrielle Lurie, 2019
Object Number: 2019.570.3a, b
Curatorial Department: Asian Art

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Horse, Suzuki Osamu Japanese, Porcelain with celadon glaze, Japan — Horse
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Cylindrical Vase, Fukami Sueharu Japanese, Porcelain with pale-blue glaze (seihakuji), Japan — Cylindrical Vase
Fukami Sueharu
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Gorgeous Effigy (Kayō), Yoshikawa Masamichi Japanese, Porcelain with pale-blue glaze (seihakuji), Japan — Gorgeous Effigy (Kayō)
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Vessel with dripping black ink patterns (Sumi nagashi tsubo), Kondō Yutaka Japanese, Stoneware with white slip and black glaze, Japan — Vessel with dripping black ink patterns (Sumi nagashi tsubo)
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Clouds, large plate with trailed glaze, Shimaoka Tatsuzō Japanese, Stoneware with slip inlay and trailed glaze design, Japan — Clouds, large plate with trailed glaze
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1991

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