A Serene Raku Guinomi by Misa Naoki

[sabi]

Good afternoon NMB,

 

This will be my last sale for the foreseeable future, and it's a tough one to let go of.

 

Misa Naoki (1947-2023) was a Kamakura-based potter specializing in the cosmos of Raku.  Working in a very traditional manner  - making glaze from crushed stones found in the Kamo river in Kyoto and firing pieces one at a time using red pine and charcoal as fuel.  Carefully monitoring the kiln and while relying only on vision and experience, removing them when the glaze has reached the perfect melting state.  Raku firings are a short, volatile process, with hers carrying a roughly 10% success rate.  A brutal method to stake your livelihood on, but for those who do things the old way, it's simply the only way. 

 

This guinomi has seen its black glaze give way to an awe-inspiring array of color during the firing.  While areas of it remain, it is organically intertwined with moss green, warm orange and deep red.  Japanese raku has been a core focus of my pottery journey, and the only other artist I've seen that achieves this level of color is the legendary Yamada Sanan, who's bowls will run you a cool million Yen.  

 

This piece is in excellent condition with no flaws, measures 6.3cm wide, 5.7cm tall and comes with it's original signed box, cloth and paperwork.  In addition, the original owner included the receipt from when it was purchased during the artist's exhibition in February 2022 at the Nihombashi Mistsukoshi department store in Tokyo (a pinnacle destination for such events that hosts artists as prestigious as the mainline Raku family masters).  Misa Naoki passed in May of 2023, with this piece marking one of her very last firings. 

 

$180 shipped to the USA, international buyers please contact me for a quote.  Payment via Paypal friends and family is strongly preferred, but will accept Venmo if necessary. 

 

Please let me know if you have any questions or need additional pics.  Thanks for looking!  

 

 

Edited 9 hours ago by sabi