(24245) Moriyama Shuzan - Sometsuke Plovers - 82mm

Informal information:

Shuzan is one of those potters who has an almost childlike sense of decoration - it's a kind of naive art, and I think meant to be fun as much as anything, the scene is a familiar one of plovers over the sea, the painting has energy and rewards longer viewing than one might expect. It's also worth noting how well made the pot is - relatively thin, with a good shape and delicate foot ring, it is skilled work.

Moriyama Shuzan - Born in 1940, his potmaking stemmed from his love of bonsai and desire to make pots for his trees. He learnt the basics from a ceramic master called Akio Okamura, and added throwing and slab building to his skills. His decoration techniques include sculpting, glazing and painting, his style can be quite naive, but he's in good company with potters such as Ito Sozan, Koito Taizan and Koreyoshi Nakamura to name a few... it's about expression.