Suzuki Sansei trained under the celebrated Kawamura Seizan 河村蜻山 (b. 1890) at the Kamakura Kiln, before going on to build his own kiln Kozu in Kanagawa prefecture. Kawamura’s influence on Suzuki’s work is palpable in both their commitment to bringing traditional techniques to the modern ceramics connoisseur, as well as their appreciation for subtle and muted aesthetic sensibilities. This style brought forth “grandeur in simplicity”. In this piece, Suzuki’s celadon is exemplary. The greenish-blue glaze is bright rather than white, and brings an almost turquoise hue to the jar. The craqueleur complements the silhouette of the jar, which, in terms of scale, is one of the largest jars in his celadon portfolio. His smooth and subtle use of celadon recalls the Korean “moon jar”.

Certainly, the history of celadon is one of technological exportation from Korea and mainland China to Japan. Suzuki Sansei’s traditional technique evokes this lineage.