Tag Archives: potters lineage

Japan pottery lineage of Hamada Tomoo

It is interesting to observe that Japan has about thirty potters that are considered National Treasures and as such their pieces can command a high price. A pottery piece in Japan can be valued as highly as a framed painting.  From a collecting perspective, any signed piece from any of the Japanese potters with a family lineage  is usually worthwhile. Pottery from the Edo period or from the famous pottery centers is also collectible.
The Japanese potter, Hamada Tomoo continues to evolve  his families techniques, using their legendary Mashiko kiln, in new directions with his original designs using traditional materials.
Hamada Tomoo  is the grandson of Hamada Shoji, a Japanese  “National Living Treasure” and the major figure of the mingei folk-art movement.
 Tawara vase – Tomoo Hamada

 

 

As stated by Japanese Art historian, Andrew Maske  :

 

“The world of traditional ceramics in Japan naturally places great emphasis on lineage. Lines of potters that began in the late sixteenth or early seventeenth century are now in their fourteenth or fifteenth generations.  A lineage of only three generations may seem insignificant by comparison, but  the Hamada family makes it clear that it is not the length of the line that is most important, but rather the quality of the work.“  Hamada Tomoo’s pottery utilize essentially the same materials as those of Hamada Shinsaku(his father) and Hamada Shoji (his grandfather ) – glazes like reddish brown kaki, brown tenmoku, cobalt blue, white rice straw ash, bluish-white namako, green seiji, black kurogusuri, creamy nuka, translucent namijiro, and runny-green wood ash, all used to cover a speckled tan clay dug and formulated right in Mashiko”.
“Unlike his elders, however, Tomoo has become much more daring in the use of unconventional shapes, extensive application of overglaze enameled decorations, and surface textures. In particular, his tiered flasks  are very progressive, and unlike anything seen before in a mingei genre. It is clear that Tomoo has been looking beyond the works of his forebears, examining works from the early English Arts and Crafts movement, and even from art nouveau.”

 

 

shoji-hamada-bottle
Shoji Hamada ceramic bottle
Mashiko Museum of Ceramic Art

 

 

Shoji-Hamada square bottle
 Shoji Hamada
Below are some pieces created by Hamada Tomoo reflecting quality and innovation :

Salt Glaze Bottle – Tomoo Hamada

 

 

Mashiko Plate Hamada Tomoo
 Tomoo Hamada plate

 

 

Mashiko Plates Hamada Tomoo
 Tomoo Hamada

 

 

Hamada Tomoo Ceramic Plate

Mashiko woodfired plate – Tomoo Hamada

 

 

Hamada Tomoo Mashiko Cearmic  plate with alternate green and brown concentirc circles Mashiko Plate Tomoo Hamada

( Robert Yellin Gallery )

 

 

Tomoo-Hamada---Vase japanese

Tomoo-Hamada—Vase

 

 

 Mashiko Guinomi-Sake Cups

Mashiko Guinomi Sake Cups

 

 

tomoo-hamada-ceramic vessel

Tomoo Hamada

 

 

3 Mashiko Guinomi-Sake Cups Hamada Tomoo  Mashiko Guinomi Saki Cups

 

 

Hamada tomoo cearamic jarHamada Tomoo Mashiko Henko jar

 

Hamada Tomoo Chawan's

Two chawans – Tomoo Hamada

 

 

Tomoo-Hamada---Bottle

Blue bottle – Tomoo Hamada


Tomoo Hamada Vase Tomoo Hamada Vase, Black glaze with akae decoration stoneware

Pucker-Gallery

 

 

Tomoo Hamada Footed Bowl Tomoo Hamada Footed Bowl Salt glaze stoneware Pucker Gallery

 

 

Stoneware Vessel – Matsuzaki Ken

 

Tomoo Hamada

 

 

 Kaki glaze with akae decoration on large plate in brown, white and black by Tomoo HamadaLarge Plate, Kaki glaze with akae decoration – Tomoo Hamada

 

 

japanese-sculptural-vase-tomoo-hamada

Tomoo Harada Japanese vase

 

 

Japanese white glazed vase with akae decoration

White glaze vase with akae decoration Tomoo Hamada

 

 

Shoji Hamada :

 

Shoji-Harada-Japanese-ceramics

Faceted vase and lidded jar- Shoji Hamada

 

 

 

Shoji-Hamada-cup

Shoji Hamada

 

 

 

Hamada-show-Asahi-Beer-Oyamazaki-Villa-Museum-Kyoto,-Japan---Saimo_mx70-flickr

Hamada show –  Asahi Beer Oyamazaki Villa Museum Kyoto, Japan

Saimo_mx70 flickr

 

 

 

Hamada-Shoji--The-Horio-Mikio-Collection---Asian-Art--salt-glaze-1952

Hamada Shoji–salt glaze bottle

The Horio Mikio Collection

1952

 

 

 

Hamada-Shoji--The-Horio-Mikio-Collection---Asian-Art-1949

Shoji Hamada teapot

 

 

 

Hamada-Shoji--The-Horio-Mikio-Collection---Asian-Art-1944-ash-glaze-with-inlay--and-iron-black-painted-decoration

Hamada Shoji ash glaze bowl with inlay and iron black painted decoration

1944

The Horio Mikio Collection Asian Art

 

 

 

Covered Jar,-Tetsue brushwork,-1945,-Stoneware

Stoneware covered jar, Tetsue brushwork  – Shoji Hamada

1945

 

 

 

shoji-hamada-pottery

Shoji Hamada