SHIMAOKA Tatsuzô

(Japan 1919–2007)

Title

Flat vase with cord pattern design

Other titles:

Flat vase with slip-inlayed cord pattern design

Alternative title:

Ji-yû zôgan Jômon henko

Place of origin

Japan

Period

Shôwa period 1926 - 1988 → Japan

Year

20th century

Media category

Ceramic

Materials used

stoneware with slip inlay

Dimensions

21.3 x 16.4cm; 4.1cm diam. of rim

Signature & date

Signed base, incised "Ta [initial of Tatsuzô]". Not dated. Signed bak of lid [Associated NWA], ink [inscribed] "Tatsuzô" [and artist's seal]. Not dated.

Credit

Gift of Klaus Naumann 1984

Accession number

59.1984

Location

Lower Asian gallery

Further information

Shimaoka entered the ceramics course at Tokyo Technical University in 1939. In 1946 he was invited to Mashiko, centre of the folk-art movement, where he was apprenticed to Shoji Hamada for three years. In 1953 he established his own kiln at Mashiko and since then has exhibited widely in Japan as well as overseas. In 1972 he visited Australia for two months.

Shimaoka specialises in the slip inlay decoration termed 'mishima', long admired by the Japanese and characteristic of a certain traditional group of Korean ceramics.

Since he has visited and taught in Australia, examples of his work (mostly belonging to the Australian potter Andrew Halford who studied with him in Japan) were included in the Art Gallery of New South Wales' Project show 'Contemporary Japanese Potters in Australia' (22 October - 20 November, 1983.

The box in which this piece belongs is a signed and attested box by the artist himself, always an important consideration in Japan.

Bibliography (1)

Jackie Menzies (Editor), The Asian Collections Art Gallery of New South Wales 2003, 'Ceramics', Domain, 2003, 268 (colour illus.).