AN IMPORTANT AND RARE IRON AND CASCADING MILKY-ASH-GLAZED STONEWARE VASE BY NAGASAWA EISHIN III (1910–1977), SHŌWA PERIOD (late 1960s/early 1970s)

Executed in a heavily potted stoneware, the robust, ovoid body tapering elegantly to a short, narrow neck, masterfully enveloped in a dynamic, dripping iron glaze (tetsu-yu) suffused with a cascading, milky-white ash glaze (wara-bai-yu), creating a complex, tonal interplay of rich chocolate, russet, and golden hues that pool with dramatic texture towards the foot; the underside incised with the two-character artist's mark Eishin (永信), alongside an original exhibition stock label.

Dimensions:25.5 cm. (10 in.) high; 15 cm. (5.9 in.) wide

Weight: 2,564 g

Condition: Good condition, the glaze stable, no faults or repairs when black tested.

Provenance:

Private Collection, Sydney.

Acquired by repute from the David Jones Art Gallery, Elizabeth Street, Sydney, under the celebrated directorship of Robert Haines (1913–2005), mid-to-late 1960s.

Artist Biography & Regional History

The Kiln: Izushi-yaki (出石焼) The Izushi ceramic tradition, located in the Hyōgo Prefecture, dates back to the late Edo period (circa 1784). It gained international renown during the Meiji and Shōwa eras for its dazzling, pristine white porcelain (hakuji), frequently adorned with incredibly intricate relief carvings of chrysanthemums and traditional motifs. The region's unique local clay—derived from pure Izushi pottery stone—allows for an unmatched, stark white finish that became the signature aesthetic of the area's multi-generational pottery dynasties.

The Maker: Nagasawa Eishin III (1910–1977) Born Nagasawa Makoto, the Third Generation Nagasawa Eishin stepped into one of Izushi’s most revered ceramic lineages. Rather than confining his practice to the rigid, classical parameters of pure white porcelain relief carving, Eishin III was a visionary who sought a synthesis between traditional craftsmanship and the expressive freedom of post-war Japanese avant-garde ceramics.

Crucial to his unique artistic trajectory was his early, formal training as a painter under the master of the Nanga (Southern School) tradition, Akamatsu Unrei (1873–1944). This painterly education profoundly influenced how Eishin viewed the ceramic surface. Moving away from the stark monochromes of his ancestors, he began utilizing the kiln as a canvas, experimenting aggressively with thick, fluid iron-rich glazes (tetsu-yu) and warm, amber ash glazes (ame-yu).

The present lot beautifully epitomizes this mature exhibition style. The immense weight of the potting (exceeding 2.5 kilograms) provides a monumental, grounding presence that balances the fluid, almost calligraphic energy of the glaze application. Works of this specific expressive, mid-century style by Eishin III represent a rare, highly experimental facet of his oeuvre, widely distinct from the family's standard commercial porcelain.

Historical Note: The David Jones Art Gallery & Robert Haines

During the 1960s and 1970s, the David Jones Art Gallery, situated on the 7th floor of the flagship Elizabeth Street department store in Sydney, was widely regarded as one of the premier commercial art spaces in the Southern Hemisphere. Under the visionary directorship of Robert Haines, former Director of the Queensland Art Gallery, the space operated at a museum-grade standard.