NIHONGA-YAKI

I am a huge fan of modern Japanese painting, the Nihongo masters like Higashiyama Kai and Hirayama Ikuo rate high on my list as I am sure they do for most lovers of the idiom. That being said, perhaps it is easy to see why I find this cover box so intriguing, the Nihongo inspiration is rather unmistakable, it is like looking through a densely packed forest of bamboo with the wonderful added benefit of function. This vivid and meticulously decorated hexagonal futamono covered box was made and painted by Oda Aya (?) and clearly shows a mastery of both clay and painting together with a keen sense of space to create this evocative and naturalistic piece. I love how the coppery background comes through all of the detailed stalks of bamboo creating such a sense of movement that if you concentrate you can almost hear the sound of the rustling of leaves in the distance. As I said, I really love Nihonga painting and could it get any better than to be so incredibly rendered on a three dimensional ceramic form? The obvious response, I just don't think so.