Vase Sometsuke Hana-e Flower | The first-generation head of the Shinemon Kiln [146182]

[size]
Width: 17.3cm / Height: 21cm
Width: 6.8in / Height: 8.3in

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This piece was created by the late Shinichiro Baba, the first-generation Shinemon and founder of the Shinemon Kiln, one of the most distinguished kilns representing Arita ware. The vase features stylized floral motifs painted in sometsuke (blue-and-white underglaze).

While the current Shinemon Kiln is celebrated for its mastery of Y?hen?a sophisticated glazing technique that produces dramatic transformations during firing?this work was not made using Y?hen, but rather with the traditional sometsuke technique. This is because it was crafted by Shinichiro Baba himself during his active years as a potter. The use of sometsuke, a fundamental painting method in Arita ware, showcases the artist’s technical precision and aesthetic sensibility. Since the modern Shinemon Kiln rarely produces sometsuke works today, this piece is considered particularly rare and valuable.

Though modest in size, the vase has ample capacity to hold flowers, making it perfectly suited for everyday floral arrangements. Its versatile form allows it to blend naturally into any interior, subtly enriching the living space with its presence. While the subject is floral, the composition is not bound by realism; instead, it employs an abstract and refined design approach. The boldly deconstructed floral forms stimulate the viewer’s imagination, evoking a harmonious blend of tradition and modernity.

From a technical standpoint, this work is executed in sometsuke, where cobalt pigment is painted onto the bisque surface before glazing. This method allows for fluid brushstrokes and expressive touches unique to the technique. However, because the porous surface absorbs the pigment instantly, corrections are not possible?each stroke is final. The result is a one-chance execution that requires patience, focus, and strong compositional skill. This work embodies all of those qualities, making it a compelling expression of the artist’s craftsmanship.


[Potter Profile]
Shinichiro Baba (deceased)

The first-generation head of the Shinemon Kiln
Member of Nitten / Full Member of the Japan Contemporary Arts and Crafts Association / Member of the Saga Prefecture Ceramic Association / Member of the Arita Ceramic Association


[Shinichiro Baba's career is as follows ]
Born in 1924 in Arita, Saga Prefecture
1972: Founded the Shinemon Kiln in Arita.
1979: Selected for the Prefecture Exhibition with "Hexagonal Celadon Bowl."
1981: Selected for the Nitten exhibition with "Oil Spot Tenmoku Large Bowl," subsequently selected 21 times.
1989: Appointed as an art exhibition judge.
2000: Exhibited "Saiun-99" and "Sai-99" at the British Museum in London (Saga Prefecture Ceramic Exhibition).
2004: Exhibited "Saikei" and "Saimon" at the Arita Pottery Exhibition in Germany.

[Main Awards]
1983: Won the First Place Bijutsu Kyokai Prize at the Bijutsu Kyokai Exhibition for "Cinnabar Flower Vase."
1986: Received the Grand Prize and the Contemporary Craft President's Prize at the Contemporary Crafts Kyushu Exhibition.
1996: Awarded the Contemporary Craft Prize at the Contemporary Craft Exhibition for "Akebono no Nagisa."
2000: Received the Full Member Prize at the Contemporary Craft Exhibition for "Rensaku・Sai."