Iga Green and Red Square Side Plate

Glassy glaze pools across the faceted surface of this square side plate. Three small feet lift it slightly from the table, while the coarse texture of the Iga clay and its hefty weight lend it a distinct presence. Brushes of a red underglaze sit atop the plate’s facets. The vidro glaze gathers in deep bands of green. A network of kannyu crackles emerges across the surface, while pebble-like traces of feldspar remain visible throughout the clay body. On some pieces, spots of rust black emerge by chance where iron exists in the clay underneath. Under the direction of eighth-generation head Fukushima Kazuhiro, Mukai Kiln continues to explore new expressions within inherited traditions. Shaped by experiences ranging from apprenticeship under Koie Ryoji to years spent working with anagama “cave kilns” in the United States, Fukushima leads the kiln in treating tradition not as a boundary, but as a starting point.