Installation view, Clay, Iron, and Fire: The Bizen and Setouchi Heritage

Clay, Iron, and Fire: The Bizen and Setouchi Heritage
Closing Friday, December 12, 2025
16 East 79th Street, Ground Floor, NYC

These are the last days to experience Clay, Iron, and Fire: The Bizen and Setouchi Heritage, a captivating exhibition celebrating the enduring artistry of ceramics and swords from the culturally rich cities of Okayama Prefecture, Japan at Onishi Gallery.

The story of Bizen ware begins 900 years ago when local artisans first produced large vessels, hand-built from iron-rich, brick-red local clay, fired over long periods to develop signature textures and hues from the unpredictable effects of flame and flying ash. Some 300 years later, Bizen ware captured the attention of elite pacesetters who were laying the foundations of chanoyu (the “tea ceremony”). In response, Bizen’s potters created utensils for chanoyu use that have been sought after ever since for their chance effects, rough textures, marks of the maker’s touch, and varied coloration.

Around the same time that Bizen ceramics were first made,  nearby Osafune (modern Setouchi City) became a hub for master swordsmiths, producing nearly half of Japan’s historic blades now designated as National Treasures or Important Cultural Properties. Osafune (Bizen) swords are prized for their beautiful temper line, subtle grain pattern, elegant curvature, and balance of aesthetic grace with battlefield utility.

Setouchi’s artistic heritage also includes Mushiage ware, developed in the 19th century for senior samurai, known for its warm, transparent pine-ash glazes, and Sueki pottery, regarded as a precursor to Bizen ware.

Together, Bizen and Setouchi ceramics and Osafune blades showcase the pinnacle of Japanese traditional craft—centuries of meticulous skill applied to local natural resources, from iron-rich clay and river sand to forests of red pine wood capable of reaching temperatures exceeding 2,000°F.

The exhibition features approximately 30 artists from Bizen and Setouchi, including ceramic masters Isezaki Jun (b. 1936; Living National Treasure, 2004), Yoshimoto Tadashi (b. 1943), Kaneshige Kosuke (b. 1943), Abe Anjin (b. 1938), Takezaki Noriyasu (b. 1968), and many others.

To view their online catalog, click here.

To learn more,  click here.