Pot

The ceramic artist Kamoda Shōji is widely considered to have transformed the aesthetic of modern ceramics in Japan. During his remarkable career he was continuously involved in research and experimentation, creating striking works that were only nominally functional, but that displayed fresh and imaginative forms and unique surface decoration. For this large jar, he created abstract shapes that seem to twist and move across the rough clay. He made the shapes’ contour lines by incising the surface with a sharp tool and then applying alternating lines of white and blue glazes.