White glazed willow design flat bottle/vase by Michitada Funaki. Michitada Funaki, a potter born in Fushina, Izumo, once aspired to be a painter and studied at an art school. Later, he returned to the family's traditional pottery business and, through encounters with Soetsu Yanagi and Shoji Hamada, established himself as a Mingei (folk craft) potter. He is also the father of Kenji Funaki, a ceramic artist, and Waho Funaki, a leading figure in glassblowing. This work is a vase with a flowing willow design painted on a white glazed surface. The soft, rounded shape of the vase and the spontaneous yet controlled lines are in perfect harmony. Within its serene beauty, one can sense the "severe spirituality" characteristic of Funaki's works. The design technique is similar to the "dorogaki" (mud drawing) unique to the Funaki kiln. On a white-glazed base, a slightly softer slip or glaze is dripped and flowed, or applied as if drawn, creating a fusion of lines and bleeding, resulting in a beauty reminiscent of ink flow. This is a unique expression of Funaki's, a fusion of Mingei and Western ceramics, also seen in British slipware. A similar piece is in the collection of the Japan Folk Crafts Museum. It is also featured in Kodansha's publication, "Mingei and Individual Artists." This is one of Michitada Funaki's representative examples and a rare museum piece. [With original box] The original box with Michitada Funaki's signature is included. [Size] Height: Approximately 21.7cm, a substantial size. [Condition] Please check the photos. As you can see, there are no noticeable flaws, and the condition is good. #SoetsuYanagi #ShojiHamada #KanjiroKawai #BernardLeach #TokuroKato #KeisukeSerizawa #ShikoMunakata #TatsuakiKuroda #YoshitakaSakamoto #KenjiFunaki #KenjiFunaki #WahoFunaki #BeautyofUse #Mingei #MingeiMovement #BeautyofHandwork #Antique #SamiroYuzuki #OldPottery #MingeiPottery #Mingei #FolkCraft #JapanesePottery #Mashiko #BernardLeach #FolkArt #Wabisabi #JapaneseFolkArt #StudioPottery