234 - OGATA KAMIO: A NERIAGE STONEWARE FLOWER VASE (HANAIKE)

OGATA KAMIO: A NERIAGE STONEWARE FLOWER VASE (HANAIKE) By Ogata Kamio (1949-2022), signed Ka Japan, dated 2009, Heisei period (1989-2019) Masterfully thrown and carved with a broad, rounded body articulated by rhythmic diagonal folds that spiral around the surface, evoking the ridges of a large conch shell, tapering toward a small flat base and rising to a small, irregularly shaped mouth. The unglazed surface is decorated in the neriage technique, with clays in varying shades of blue, gray, black, and white layered, thrown, and carefully manipulated on the wheel to create a striking marbled pattern of undulating, interlacing strata. The underside incised with the single-character signature Ka. HEIGHT 14.3 cm Provenance: Joan B. Mirviss Ltd., New York. A private collection, Boston, United States, acquired from the above, by repute. Condition: Excellent condition. With the original wood storage box (tomobako), inscribed Neriage shima hanaike, Kamio [Neriage striped-pattern flower vase, made by Kamio], signed Kamio and sealed Kamio in [seal of Kamio]. Ogata Kamio (1949-2022), a native of Hokkaido, was a self-taught potter whose work was distinguished by a sustained exploration of marbled clay, particularly the Japanese technique known as neriage. His highly distinctive vessels were formed from numerous thin layers of differently colored clay, which he manipulated into ridged, folded, and pleated surfaces to heighten the optical effect of the striated patterns. The origins of ceramic marbling can be traced to antiquity, while closely related techniques flourished in China at least as early as the Tang dynasty. Within the Japanese ceramic tradition, neriage generally refers to marbled wares formed on the wheel, while the related term nerikomi is more commonly associated with hand-built methods. Both approaches rely upon the careful layering, cutting, and recombination of differently colored clays to create complex stratified patterns, often recalling geological formations, drifting clouds, wood grain, or woven textiles. Through exceptional control of this demanding process, Kamio transformed these inherited methods into a highly distinctive contemporary ceramic language. Museum comparison: Compare a closely related larger neriage Spiraling Vessel, Dizzy Shadings (Genun), by Ogata Kamio, dated 2005, 33 cm high, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, object number 2006.507. Compare a closely related neriage fresh-water jar (mizusashi) and cover, by Ogata Kamio, dated 2014, 18.4 cm high, in the Saint Louis Art Museum, object number 12:2015a-c. Auction comparison: Compare a closely related larger neriage vessel, Depths, by Ogata Kamio, dated 2014, 25.4 cm high, at Bonhams, Fine Japanese and Korean Works of Art, New York, 22 March 2023, lot 818, sold for USD 7,650 or approx. EUR 7,300 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing.