KazumiKrafts

Onta-yaki pottery

My in-lows traveled to a town in Kyusyu, famous for potteries, and gave us a pair of cups. They are called onta-yaki. They are simple and useful so I love them very much.

Onta-yaki information
http://japanartsandcrafts.com/ontayaki.html

小鹿田焼（おんたやき）のペア湯のみを頂きました。小鹿田焼は好きな焼き物の一つで既に一つ持っていたのですが、やはりこれはシンプルで飽きがこず、長く使える食器だと思います。

Art Fair Tokyo

I got an invitation card of Art Fair Tokyo this time because I went there last spring. This is their fourth edition. Many domestic and international galleries were gathered. I was looking forward to going the event.
It was interesting because I could see contemporary art and valuable antique together at once. I found an Iranian antique china. The pottery technique was very close to one of Japanese.

「アートフェア東京」に行ってきました。全国の（そして海外の）ギャラリーが一堂に集まるのですが、現代美術も古美術も同じ会場に並べられ、面白いです。
今回の収穫は、わたしは掻落の陶器が好きなのですが、イランの掻落があったことです。中国、朝鮮、日本の掻落は良く見かけますが、それ以西の掻落を見たのは初めてでした。

the peacock in a ceramic

I'm reading "Emperors' ceramics in Vietnam" these days. I really love ceramics in vietnam and I draw one of the decoration.
I didn't know the name of the bird in English until now. It was a big surprize for me that it was called "peacock" because I often go to "peacock", a supermarket near my house and I hadn't thought about the name of it.

「ベトナムの皇帝陶磁」という本が最近のお気に入りです。壷に描いてあったクジャクを写してみました。クジャクが英語でピーコックだったことに驚きです。「ピーコック」で思いつくのは近所のスーパーマーケットだけでしたから。。

A Happy New Year 2009!!

We wish you a Happy New Year!!
My family and I stayed traditional Japanese hotel at Atami onsen, hot spling, in the new year. We walked into Kiunkaku Villa on the way to the hotel. This photo was taken in the villa. The villa was used as a traditional hotel, and was loved by men of literature such as Junichiro Tanizaki and Osamu Dazai.


It is said the building was built in 1919 and reconstructed here. This is a historical and cultural heritage.

あけましておめでとうございます！お正月に熱海に行ってきました。谷崎潤一郎や太宰治が愛した旅館「起雲閣」、素晴らしかったです。

Modigliani et le Primitivisme

I worked until noon today. At noon, I came up with a good idea. To go to the museum. The National Art Center, Tokyo had the exhibition of Modigliani.

I really love the works of Modigliani. Especially oil paintings and rough sketches of women.
The modern museum was planned by Kisyo Kurokawa, the famous Japanese architecture. This is his last work.
camera; VistaQuest1005

Yakushiji temple exhibition

The weather have been lovely these days. New green leaves are so beautiful.

Yakusiji temple exhibition has been held at Tokyo National Museum. The Nikko and Gakko Bosatsu (the Bodhisattva of Sunlight and Moonlight) at the exhibition were amazing!! I really want to go to Nara..

Children's Castle

My husband said snow flew midnight last night. Today is very cold but the sky is clear!! This is a monument by Taro Okamoto standing at Aoyama Theater near my office. I took this photo with my new VistaQuest1005, keychain camera.

Kenzan and Korin

I went to see the exhibition of Kenzan and Korin at Idemitsu Museum. I like the works of Ogata Korin  but I don't know about Ogata Kenzan very much. Kenzan was Korin's youngest brother and was a ceramic artist at Kyoto (move to Tokyo in his final years) . I heard that his works wasn't yet fully understood until quite recently. But in these days the kiln he used was discovered  and his works was began investigating.

I sew some great potteries that Kenzan did and Korin decorated. It's quite luxury! I found the good dragon skin pattern on his work and the files with the pattern was sold in the museum shop. So I got it for my husband as a souvenir.

Samurai stamp

I carved a samurai on a rubber eraser.

The illustration was  drawn by Hokusai Katsushika, a Japanese artist, ukiyo-e painter of the Edo preiod.

I went to the exhibition of Ukiyo-e, by Hokusai, Utamaro, Hiroshige etc..last month and I remembered I had a book of print art by Hokusai. I love Hokusai's woodblock prints.

Mashiko, famous for ceramic arts

My husband and I have been to Mashiko, Tochigi Prefecture. The town is famous for ceramics.
We went to Tokoname, known for ceramics too, very often last year because he worked there for planning the landscape of the pottery museum.
But it was the first time to go to Mashiko for us. We got on the Shinkansen bullet train from Tokyo to Utsunomiya, then went to Mashiko by bus. It took about three hours from our home.
Same as Tokoname, there are many old houses and very big oven for ceramics in Mashiko. I like there.  We bought some ceramics, chopsticks and  flower pots.

big oven for ceramics

And we went to a bakery in the forest that was renovated a old house.  There was also a cafe so we took lunch there. The sandwiches and soup were delicious!