{"title":"Yasuo Yamaguchi 山口康雄","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eYasuo Yamaguchi (山口康雄)\u003c\/strong\u003e, the founder and master artisan of Kouun Kiln, is a dedicated craftsman who has spent decades bridging the gap between historical Karatsu traditions and contemporary functional art. Born in 1950, he established his own kiln in 1992 with the ambitious goal of establishing a distinct \"Takeo Ware\" identity that honours the region's 400-year pottery heritage. Yamaguchi is renowned for his mastery of the climbing kiln (noborigama) and the kick-wheel (kerokuro), manual techniques he considers essential for \"conversing\" with clay. His work is characterized by a harmonious balance between the rugged, understated \"Karatsu\" aesthetic and delicate decorative flourishes like overglaze painting, reflecting his philosophy that pottery should not only be beautiful but also deeply integrated into the daily rituals of modern life.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEstablished in 1992 in Takeo City, Saga Prefecture, Kouun Kiln is a distinguished pottery studio dedicated to evolving the tradition of Old Karatsu ware to suit modern lifestyles.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLed by master craftsman Yasuo Yamaguchi, the kiln specializes in blending the rustic, earthy textures of traditional Karatsu style with vibrant overglaze and \u003cem\u003eaka-e\u003c\/em\u003e (red painting) techniques to create a unique \"New Takeo\" aesthetic. Committed to authentic craftsmanship, the studio continues to honour ancestral methods by utilizing kick-lathes and firing a traditional climbing kiln (\u003cem\u003enoborigama\u003c\/em\u003e) twice a year, a labour-intensive process where wood is stoked for three days to reach temperatures of 1,300°C.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThrough their collection of tea bowls, plates, and everyday vessels, Kouun Kiln strives to establish a distinct identity for \"Takeo Ware\" while maintaining a deep gratitude for the natural materials and historical techniques that define their art.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"chopstick-rest-2","title":"Chopstick Rest","description":"\u003cp\u003eDragonflies with delicate gold wings skim across these rests. Each rises at one end into a reddish-brown handle, like the folded end of a fan, then opens out into a fluted grey surface. One sits on creamy Kohiki white, the other on deep, lustrous black.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFeatures\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn Japan the dragonfly is a symbol of courage and renewal. Yamaguchi paints each one by hand, adding bright red accents that give the earthy clay a sense of movement.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSpecifications\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eArtist: Yasuo Yamaguchi\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHandcrafted\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLimited\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMade in Japan\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCare\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePlease keep away from the microwave, dishwasher, oven, direct flame and induction hobs, and avoid metal scrubbers, cleansers or bleach.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Yasuo Yamaguchi","offers":[{"title":"White","offer_id":52549512331540,"sku":"CE-A020-003","price":25.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Black","offer_id":52549512364308,"sku":"CE-A020-004","price":25.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0985\/2262\/8372\/files\/Product-42.jpg?v=1779862481"},{"product_id":"chopstick-rest-3","title":"Chopstick Rest","description":"\u003cp\u003eTwo small squares, two small stories. On one, a bird in cerulean blue perches on a branch, with a dash of red on a leaf and a glint of gold. On the other, a pair of goldfish, one black and one red, swim across a pale ground finished with gold leaf.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFeatures\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYasuo Yamaguchi decorates with the Kohiki technique, brushing white slip over dark, iron-rich clay. Where the dark clay peeks through, it leaves a rustic, slightly crackled texture that ties the playful pictures back to the long pottery tradition of Saga.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSpecifications\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eArtist: Yasuo Yamaguchi\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHandcrafted\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLimited\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMade in Japan\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCare\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePlease keep away from the microwave, dishwasher, oven, direct flame and induction hobs, and avoid metal scrubbers, cleansers or bleach.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Yasuo Yamaguchi","offers":[{"title":"Bird","offer_id":52549514756372,"sku":"CE-A020-001","price":25.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Gold Fish","offer_id":52549514789140,"sku":"CE-A020-002","price":25.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0985\/2262\/8372\/files\/Product-47_763ccf88-f666-424b-ba32-482cf1bd00c1.jpg?v=1779862617"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0985\/2262\/8372\/collections\/Product-1_a4afc571-930e-449b-bc9e-8310b2448dbc.jpg?v=1779920556","url":"https:\/\/mizuspace.com\/en-ca\/collections\/yasuo-yamaguchi.oembed","provider":"Mizu Space","version":"1.0","type":"link"}