Funaki Michitada
White Kotsubo by Funaki Michitada
Highly influential and one of the biggest figures of the Mingei Movement, deeply associated with Bernard Leach, and with works heavily represented in all museums focusing on Mingei, here is a white-glazed kotsubo (small tsubo/jar with lid) by Funaki Michitada (1900-1963), the father of Funaki Kenji (who was incidentally the teacher of Mihara Ken). Funaki Michitada was the 4th head of a rural kiln in Shimane Prefecture (hence his son's connection to Mihara) called the Funaki Gama, a maker of the local Fushina-yaki ware which had prospered due to its patronage by the local feudal lord. The kiln's fortunes began to dwindle after the Meiji Restoration, and Michitada was in financial difficulty, until Bernard Leach and the Mingei Movement saved this once-obscure kiln and elevated it into one of the Mingei kilns. Thanks to Leach's help (and influence), Michitada prospered to become one of the major potters of the Mingei in Western Japan. This small, elegant kotsubo is evidence of Michitada's sensibilities. Delicately formed, the shape of the body and the balance of the lid is excellent. It has a noble, almost regal feel, and it also has a feel that is not only Japanese -rather, it has a definite English feel to its character, as how the patterns on the body look similar to British coat-of-arms. This tsubo is representative of Michitada's work, and a work like this does not often appear. It is an important piece for any serious Mingei collector's collection. This piece is 11cm tall, 9.5cm wide, comes with a signed box and is in perfect condition.
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