230 - TOKUDA YASOKICHI III (DESIGNATED LIVING NATIONAL TREASURE): A FINE AND LARGE KUTANI GLAZED PORCELAIN VASE

TOKUDA YASOKICHI III (DESIGNATED LIVING NATIONAL TREASURE): A FINE AND LARGE KUTANI GLAZED PORCELAIN VASE By Tokuda Yasokichi III (1933-2009), signed Kutani Masahiko Japan, late 20th century, Showa (1926-1989) to Heisei period (1989-2019) Magnificently modeled, the broad, gently tapering body supported on a short foot and rising in a subtly undulating profile to a wide mouth. The surface is covered in a rich, lustrous, finely crackled glaze, beautifully transitioning from deep cobalt blue across the lower body to vibrant blue-green and pale yellow-green toward the rim, with softly streaked effects. The white base bears the signature KUTANI MASAHIKO beneath an impressed foliate design. HEIGHT 26.8 cm, WIDTH 29.8 cm Condition: Excellent condition. With the original wood tomobako (storage box), signed and sealed by the artist, and a biographical note on the artist. Tokuda Yasokichi III was designated a Bearer of Important Intangible Cultural Assets (a ‘Living National Treasure’) in 1997 for his mastery of the innovative saiyu glaze technique, based on traditional Kutani colored glaze enamels as handed down from his grandfather and father, Tokuda Yasokichi I (1873-1956) and Tokuda Yasokichi II (1907-1997). Before he succeeded his father in 1988 as Tokuda Yasokichi III, the artist was known as Tokuda Masahiko. His celebrated saiyu technique enabled him to create remarkable gradations of color, transforming traditional Kutani enamels into luminous, abstract compositions. Auction comparison: Compare a related large Kutani glazed porcelain basin by the same artist, similarly modeled with a broad, open mouth and rounded sides, 35 cm long, at Zacke, Fine Japanese Art, 12 June 2026, Vienna, lot 170 (sold for EUR 4,160).