DRAMA

When I think about vivid contrasts in ceramics, the obvious black & white and blue & white easily spring to mind but less often seen but easily as potent is the combination of red and white as clearly illustrated in this sultry porcelain vase with yuriko underglaze red decoration. Surrounded by beautiful red spiraled vines ending in rich blossoms this simple, elegant vase is by yuriko and sometsuke specialist Yoshida Takashi who learned his craft (and art) under three Ningen Kokuho; Tomimoto,Kondo and Fujimoto. Yoshida is well known and recognized for his use of fluid brushwork in yuriko underglaze red on pure white porcelain as well as his sometsuke wares and his use of space and form shows a tremendous flair for the dramatic which very few potters have achieved, especially in the infrequently seen flowing underglaze red pigment.