Ueda Naokata VI (*1957)
Vase with Rare Glaze and Handles
An unusual flower vase with handles (mimitsuki) made by Ueda Naokata VI (Ueda Mitsuharu). The vase pretends to be a classic Shigaraki beauty on the first view but bears some rare distinct features. It was made of dark clay that turned into a deep purple during firing. The amber-colored ash glaze us covering the upper part around the mouth, the shoulders and handles. Three long streams of glaze are running down on the vessel's side and one of them is turning into emerald green color while nearing the vase's base and finishes in an extraordinary clear green glaze drop. The dark clay and specific color of the glaze seem to be a transition between Tanba pottery's specific materiality and a classic Shigraki form. On the box's inscription, Naokata VI just calls it a yōhen hanaire, or "flower vase with kiln mutation." A rare master piece.
Ueda Mitsuharu was born 1957 in Yame, Fukuoka prefecture. Initially, he started to learn Tanba pottery in 1975 and got interested into traditional Shigaraki works in 1979. As promising talent, he was adopted by Ueda Naokata V whom he succeeded in 2010 as official Ueda VI. He is a full member of Nihon kōgei kai and the Shigaraki Tōyō-kai.
The vase is stamped underneath Mitsuharu and comes with fitted, inscribed, signed and sealed wooden box.