White Porcelain Jar with Green Glaze and Peony Flower Engraving by Living National Treasure Manji Inoue

A work that sculpts a peony flowers on a white porcelain jar and uses different glazes to emphasize the white porcelain. Jar measures H: 8.66" Diameter: 10.6" Made in Japan Manji Inoue - Living National Treasure Born in 1929, Manji Inoue learned to craft Arita ware, a form of traditional colorful pottery. However, he would begin working using white porcelain and then become celebrated worldwide for his creations. He often uses Hakuji, which is done by pouring a transparent glaze over white Kaolin (clay) and then firing it at a high temperature. Manji Inoue demands perfection when it comes the shape and has been known to be unforgiving, even if the item is just a millimeter distorted. Inoue said that “hakuji is expressed through form instead of decoration.” His pieces show this truth through the purely rounded forms and refined curves instead of using distracting décor on the surface. The simple lines show power to the eye within the depth of pure white valleys and peaks. The silky