Currently based in Shizuoka, Watanabe Akihiko made this large celadon bottle vase almost 20 years ago at his previous studio in Yamagata prefecture. Wood-fired in his kiln “Raijin” - or “Thunder God” - it emerged an unusual grey-blue which, Watanabe says, he’s never achieved since. He was very pleased with the elegant proportions - inspired by classic Tang dynasty pear-shaped forms - and decided to keep it for himself.

There is a very soft blush in the celadon where the neck meets the body, which is the yohen or kiln effects from its atmospheric firing. Even though Watanabe places his pieces in protective saggars there are nonetheless slight artifacts caused by the wood fuel he chooses to use. And these subtle differences are important to Watanabe.

While this vase’s glaze originally emerged clear from his Thunder God kiln, the celadon began to very slowly craze - not right away but, remarkably, only after a number of years. Over time, Watanabe would notice the subtle new kannyu as it appeared, running up the body and spiralling around the neck.

While most crackle in a glaze usually happens while cooling after firing, it can be an ongoing process. Especially for celadon, a glaze can continue to craze throughout its lifetime. Like a living object, celadon undergoes slow and imperceptible changes as it ages. One day a new crack will appear, adding character to the surface. Like wrinkles on a face, celadon matures with time, slowly adding evidence of the years lived.

Comes with the signed, stamped, and titled wood box, stamped wrapping cloth, and CV.