白の手帖vol.5 |萬二・康徳 器に宿る多彩な表現 (前編)|Discovering the Diverse Expressions Dwelling in Vessels Part I


Photo by Seitaro Iki

✴︎ Available in both Japanese and English.

井上萬二窯ギャラリーにてご覧いただける、作り手それぞれが生み出す表現と美のかたち。vol.5〜vol.8では、技法、文様、造形などに目を向けながら、それぞれの作品の魅力を見つめます。

作品を通して広がる想像や発見を、皆さまと味わい、楽しむことができましたら幸いです。

vol.5では、井上萬二作、井上康徳作の、季節を感じる食の器をご紹介します。

At the Inoue Manji Kiln Gallery, you can admire the unique forms of expression and beauty created by each artisan. In this Vol.5, we are going to introduce tableware that evokes the changing seasons and explore the charm of each piece whilst paying close attention to the creative process behind their creation, as well as details such as patterns and colours. 


井上萬二作『白磁黄緑釉公孫樹彫文舟形皿』|【Hakuji Oryokuyu Icho Chomon Hunagata Zara】-‘Hakuji Boat-shaped Dish with Carved Ginkgo Design under Yellow Green Graze- by Manji Inoue


秋の深まりとともに、緑から黄色へと色を変える公孫樹の葉。その移ろう彩りを、二色の釉薬を用いた掛け分けの技法によって、生き生きと表現しています。

まず、公孫樹の文様を彫り、緑釉を施す部分を残して器全体をマスキングします。そこに緑釉を流し込み、乾燥させたのち、今度は緑釉の部分を覆い、黄色に仕上げる部分のマスキングを取り除いて黄釉を吹き付けます。白磁の肌を生かしながら、それぞれの色を美しく引き出すための丁寧な工程が、葉の鮮やかな彩りを生み出しています。

舟形の造形は、ろくろで丸く成形した器を削り出すことで生まれます。ろくろによる成形から、舟形へと仕上げる削りの仕事まで、すべて手作業によって形づくられています。

 As autumn deepens, the leaves of the ginkgo tree change colour from green to yellow. These shifting hues are vividly captured using the ‘kake-wake’ technique, which involves applying two different glazes.

 First, the ginkgo pattern is carved, and the entire vessel is masked, leaving only the areas to be glazed with green. Green glaze is then poured into these areas; once dry, the green-glazed sections are covered, whilst the masking on the areas to be finished in yellow is removed, allowing the yellow glaze to be sprayed on. This meticulous process, which brings out the beauty of each colour whilst preserving the natural texture of the white porcelain, creates the vivid hues of the leaves.

 The boat-shaped form is created by carving away excess material from a vessel that has been shaped into a round form on the potter’s wheel. From shaping on the wheel to the carving work that gives it its boat-like form, every stage is carried out entirely by hand.


井上萬二作『白磁菊彫文皿』| 【Hakuji Kikuchomon Zara】-‘Hakuji Dish with Carved Chrysanthemum Design- by Manji Inoue

菊は、文様として季節を問わず用いられますが、花は秋に見頃を迎えます。花の姿を写実的に描くのではなく、整然とした彫文で表したところにも、この作品独自の趣があります。萬二は、なぜ菊をこのような表現にしたのでしょうか。少女が花びらをひとひらずつ指で摘み取り、丁寧に並べたのでしょうか。イメージの世界の中で人の手の温もりまでも感じられるようです。作品を前に、想像を巡らせる楽しみがあります。

ろくろで丸く成形したのち、丸みを帯びた桔梗縁に削り出され、可憐な佇まいが器全体に生かされています。

白一色の中に、彫りの技と意匠が織りなす美しさがあります。

Although chrysanthemums are used as a motif throughout the year, the flowers reach their peak in autumn. The unique charm of this piece lies in the fact that, rather than depicting the flowers realistically, they are rendered through orderly engraved patterns.

Why did Manji choose to express the chrysanthemums in this way? Perhaps a young girl plucked the petals one by one with her fingers and arranged them with care? One can almost sense the warmth of human hands within this world of imagination. Standing before this piece, one can enjoy letting one’s imagination run wild.

 After being shaped into a round form on the throwing wheel, it was carved into a gently curved bell-shaped rim, lending a delicate presence to the entire vessel.

 Within the monochrome white, there lies a beauty woven from the artistry of the carving and the design.


井上康徳作『白磁緑撫子彫文八角皿』| 【Hakuji Midori Nadeshiko Chomon Hakkaku Zara】-Octagonal White Porcelain Dish with Curved Green Dianthus Pattern- by Inoue Yasunori  

撫子の花と、しなやかに伸びる茎や葉が、白磁に円を描くように彫文されています。

撫子というと、その名を冠した色名があるように、ピンク色を思い浮かべることも多いもの。しかし、ここでは緑釉一色で仕上げられています。

花だけでなく、茎や葉を含めた草花全体の美しさと、ろくろで生まれた器の造形と調和する文様のあり方を、こうした表現で表しているのでしょうか。

すべてを描き定めないことで、白磁に繊細に息づく撫子や、その花が咲く風景は見る人それぞれの心に委ねられ、器との向き合い方に自由な広がりをもたらしています。

※ 作品についての詳しい情報をご希望の方はお電話かメールでお問い合わせください。

Dianthus flowers, along with their gracefully arching stems and leaves, are carved into the white porcelain in a circular pattern.

When one thinks of dianthus, one often conjures up the colour pink—as evidenced by the fact that there is even a colour name bearing their name. However, this piece is finished entirely in a single shade of green glaze.

Perhaps this artistic expression seeks to convey not only the beauty of the flowers themselves, but also that of the entire plant—including the stems and leaves—and the way in which the pattern harmonises with the form of the vessel, crafted on the throwing wheel.

By leaving elements undefined, the delicate presence of the dianthus on the white porcelain, and the landscape in which it blooms, are left to the imagination of each viewer, offering a sense of freedom in how one engages with the vessel.

*For more detailed information about these artworks, please feel free to contact us by phone or email. https://manjiinoue.com/


井上康徳作『白瓷波文皿』| 【Hakuji Namimon Zara】-White Porcelain Dish with Wave Pattern- by Inoue Yasunori  

クリーム色とベージュの間のような、温かみを帯びた色合いが印象的な作品です。この柔らかな色味は、本焼きの際に窯の中へ十分な酸素を送り込みながら焼き上げる「酸化焼成」によって生まれます。生地や釉薬に含まれる鉄分が酸素と結びつくことで酸化し、赤みを帯びた色合いの変化がもたらされ、澄んだ白とはまた異なる、まろやかな風合いに仕上がります。

輪郭と内側それぞれに配された波の彫文が呼応し、器全体に心地よいリズムを生み出しています。温かみの中に、曲線の連なりが軽やかな動きを感じます。

This piece is characterised by its warm colour, which lies somewhere between cream and beige. This soft hue is created through ‘oxidation firing’, a process in which sufficient oxygen is introduced into the kiln during firing. The iron contained in the clay and glaze reacts with the oxygen, causing oxidation that produces a reddish colour shift and results in a mellow finish distinct from a pure white.

 The wave-like carvings on both the outer rim and the interior echo one another, creating a pleasing rhythm across the entire vessel. Amidst this warmth, the succession of curves conveys a sense of light, flowing movement.


次回は、井上祐希作、井上萬二窯作の作品を通して、それぞれの表現が生み出す魅力をご紹介します。

In Vol.6, we will be introducing the beauty of the forms in each piece at the Inoue Manji Gallery. 

Thank you for reading Vol.5! We hope you enjoyed having the imagination and discoveries that Inoue Manji Kiln’s works inspire.

We truly appreciate your support and we are really looking forward to bringing you the next post!

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