Beige Form

Beige Form

Produced by a now-defunct Tokoname kiln as part of its beige series, this contorted vessel stands on multiple stubby conical legs, with deeply concave sides and sharply upturned edges. Layered beige and white glaze has been rubbed across the heavily combed exterior, settling into its horizontal striations and roughened rim. The weight, distortion, fidelity abstraction and emphatic surface treatment embody the heavy modernist and brutalist aesthetic of the 1960s and 1970s. Japan Modern has visited this former kiln in Aichi Prefecture and interviewed the last CEO and vase artisans employed there last century. Vase production stopped decades ago so whatever remains in existence is all that exists. This is a survivor model and is worthwhile owning. 

Vintage pieces may show signs of age and prior use, including surface wear, glaze variation, firing irregularities, kiln marks, minor staining and other characteristics acquired over time. Please examine all photographs carefully, as they form part of the description.

Product details