Takahashi Kōzo (b. 1954) is a respected Japanese ceramic artist and the fifth-generation head of the Takahashi Rakusai family kiln in Shigaraki, Shiga Prefecture which is one of Japan’s Six Ancient Kilns. As a personal opinion Kozo Takahashi is becoming one of my favotire Shigaraki potters from the medium-price level Shigaraki artists. The price level has nothing to do with the quality - it's just very well made chawan but not an artifact of the highest exhibitional art.


The firing I like extremely much. More dryer ash effect, meaning this beautiful gray-with-dark ash acculumation from the woodfiring on top of the beautiful orange-brown Shigaraki clay. One side of the interior bottom has small amount of vitrified brown-green ash glaze. 


The form is the winner here. I love this form, I don't know exactly what to call it but from above it's almost oval but with this small kind a like wave-style or shoe-style breakage of the form that is excellent to hold. 


The bowl is clearly signed with the artist signature. In excellent condition. No damage, no signs of use or repairs. 

Comes with the original signed box with unmarked cloth and artist CV. Made in late 1990s. 



While reading about the artist I learnt that in the 1970s he was part of the "Mutual Kiln Association”  under the guidance of Arakawa Toyozō - which could in some sense explain why his firing seems to be slightly different from his predecessors of Takahashi Rakusai - lineage. The firing on his work is really strong, much higher quality, or at least more to my liking, that I am used from the classic lineage. I did already like a lot of their work before discovering the works of the current head of the kiln. 

  • In 1970s he also studied in Kyoto Prefectural Ceramicists’ Technical Institute and graduated from the Shiga Prefectural Shigaraki Ceramic Research Institute. This on top of being naturally trained by his lineage (assumable all his life). He began holding solo exhibitions since 1980s and seems to be still actively running the kiln with his daughter. 
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