Dawn

Yamamoto Seinen, a ceramicist from Yoichi, Hokkaido, enrolled in the sculpture department at Tokyo High School of Craft and Design in 1931 and studied under Hata Masakichi, then went to work in the ceramics division of the Kyoto Municipal Institute of Industrial Research. After World War II, he built a kiln in the town of Tomiyama, Chiba, and showed work actively in the Nitten (Japan Fine Arts Exhibition) while serving as a key member of the Totokai ceramics group. This work was submitted to the 10th Nitten in 1954. Around this time, Seinen focused on discovering and developing new glazes, using local Boso specialties like peanuts and loquats as well as ash from apple trees and grapevines from his hometown of Yoichi. In this work, the salt glaze over the white clay body and the subtle fire hue, combined with the sculptural form of the vessel, enhance the textural quality. (J.A.)