Dance of the Wind I (Kaze no mai I)

Based in Kyoto, Japan, Miyashita  Zenji is internationally known for crafting innovative functional  and sculptural ceramics. Since the early 1980s, his works have been celebrated for the subtle gradation of colors in their surfaces. This traditional ceramic  technique, called saidei, or "colored clays," involves  layering paper-thin sheets of colored  clay one on top of the other to create a relief effect along the body of the vessel. Bands of color  are formed by mixing clay with metallic  pigments. The color palette of this vessel pair (2014.20.1 and 2014.20.2) evokes nature scenes such as a misty mountain view or a sunrise through rolling clouds.