Yoshida Minori Living National Treasure Kutani Yuri Kinsai Gold Floral Vase, Signed

An underglaze gold decoration (yuri kinsai) vase with a flowering scroll arabesque design, made by Yoshida Minori, a Holder of an Important Intangible Cultural Property (Living National Treasure). This is a Kutani ware piece from Kinzangama kiln.

Yoshida Minori (real name Yoshida Minoru), born 1932, is a Kutani ware ceramic artist from Komatsu City, Ishikawa Prefecture, and the third-generation head of Kinzangama kiln, a workshop founded in 1906 and renowned for its gold-decoration techniques. He mastered the technique of yuri kinsai (underglaze gold decoration), in which cut gold leaf is applied over a fired colored glaze base and then covered with a clear glaze, inspired by the works of Kato Hajime from 1972 onward. In 2001, he was designated a Holder of an Important Intangible Cultural Property (Living National Treasure) for this technique, becoming the only such holder in Kutani ware. His work is characterized by using both thin and thick gold leaf to create a sense of depth and perspective. In 2023 he received the honorary citizenship of Komatsu City.

Dimensions: Height approx. 24 cm, mouth diameter approx. 10 cm, width approx. 13 cm

Includes: signed wooden box (paulownia box with cord), signed cloth, and a booklet (biographical note), among other items.

Condition: Undamaged and in fine condition. This item was purchased some years ago; there may be very minor marks, folds on the booklet, or age-related wear on the box and accessories.