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Artworks
Shimaoka Tatsuzo 島岡達三 1919-2007
Kakeai-glazed inlaid Jōmon Mukōzuke, set of 6Stoneware3 × 4 7/8 in. (7.6 × 12.5 cm)With signed wood box, signed artist mark "Ta タ" at baseFurther images
Born in Tokyo, Shimaoka Tatsuzo (1919-2007) was the son of a braid and cord maker. After a trip to the Kyoto Folk Craft Museum, he was inspired to pursue pottery...Born in Tokyo, Shimaoka Tatsuzo (1919-2007) was the son of a braid and cord maker. After a trip to the Kyoto Folk Craft Museum, he was inspired to pursue pottery at the Tokyo Institute of Technology. He was a pupil of the Mingei master Hamada Shoji, and a close associate of Yanagi Soetsu, both of whom introduced him to the techniques and traditions of Japanese pottery. He was also affiliated with Bernard Leach, after having traveled to Britain on multiple occasions; Shimaoka’s influence on the international folk craft movement is palpable.His work as a craftsman was disrupted by the onset of the Second World War, forcing a hiatus until 1946. Upon returning to ceramics, he began to explore more complex art historical techniques. In particular, Shimaoka developed a deep interest in the Jomon period, renowned for its pottery characterized by intricate, tactile patterns. After studying Jomon artifacts with an archaeologist, he integrated Jomon-inspired motifs into his work, adapting them to his own process by using cords and braids to replicate the distinctive decorative surfaces of ancient ceramics. To enhance these rope-impressed patterns, he employed various types of wood ash glaze. In 1954, he built his own noborigama (wood-fired climbing kiln) in Mashiko, further refining these techniques.
