Kiseki: Object in Focus
Constructed from slabs of clay, Kiseki explores line, form, and architectural space through cuts, openings, and controlled warping during firing. Created by the current head of a 250-year old ceramic dynasty, Kiyomizu Masahiro VIII (b. 1954) has created a series of object-vessels to express the evolving legacy of the Kiyomizu Rokubei family. Two lines diverge across this square form, born from the series, suggesting movement and direction. Meanwhile, the hollow interior interrogates its own object identity, walking the line between sculpture and vessel in Japanese ceramics. The surface contains a reflective, opal luster and black glaze responding subtly to surrounding light and enhancing the work’s spatial presence. The title Kiseki, meaning “trajectory” or “the path left behind,” connects the sculpture to the current state of the important Kyoto family’s ongoing transformation within contemporary ceramic expression.
Iron-painted vase with linear design, 玄窯鉄絵線文花瓶
Stoneware
10 1/2 x 7 1/8 x 7 1/8 in. (26.7 x 18 x 18 cm)
Artist’s mark impressed on base
Wood storage box inscribed: Gen’yō tetsue senmon kabin 玄窯鉄絵線文花瓶 (Vase with iron-painted line decoration); signed: Rokudai Kiyomizu Rokubey saku 六代 清水六兵衞 作 (made by the sixth-generation Kiyomizu Rokubey), Shichidai Kiyomizu Rokubey shiki 七代 清水六兵衞 識 (inscribed by the seventh-generation Kiyomizu Rokubey); sealed: Kiyo 清
Artist’s mark impressed on base: Masahiro 柾; inscribed at the base: M. Kiyomizu; Inscribed wooden storage box or kifuda (signed wooden plate) available to order
Large flower vessel with purple green glaze, 紫翠泑花瓶
Stoneware
11 × 12 × 12 in. (28 × 30.5 × 30.5 cm)
Artist’s signature at the base
Wood storage box inscribed: Shisui yōu kabin 紫翠泑花瓶 (flower vessel with a purple-green glaze); signed: Rokubey 六兵衞; sealed: Kiyo 清
Kiyomizu Rokubei: 250 years of ceramic expression from Kyoto
September 10–24, 2026
Opening Reception with Kiyomizu Rokubei VIII (Masahiro) in attendance: Thursday, September 10, 5-7pm Special AWNY Autumn Hours (Sept 12-18): Daily, 11am-5pm
Dai Ichi Arts is pleased to present “Kiyomizu Rokubei: 250 Years of Ceramic Expression from Kyoto,” presenting works by the fifth through eighth generations of one of Japan’s most distinguished ceramic dynasties. Based in Kyoto since the mid-Edo period, the Rokubei lineage has endured through continual reinvention, with each generation responding to the artistic and technological developments of its time. The exhibition traces this evolution from the fifth and sixth generations’ experiments with glaze, painted decoration, and classical references to the sculptural, architecturally informed slab-built forms of the seventh and eighth generations. The current head of the family, Kiyomizu Rokubei VIII, Masahiro, will travel from Kyoto to attend the opening reception at Dai Ichi Arts on September 10.
Founded in 1989, Dai Ichi Arts, Ltd. is a fine art gallery dedicated to presenting modern Japanese ceramics.
The gallery is committed to presenting research-driven exhibitions, showcasing museum-quality Japanese ceramic art, and providing authoritative expertise to collectors.
Dai Ichi Arts has contributed pieces to major museums such as The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Art Institute of Chicago, the Minneapolis Institute of Art, the Indianapolis Museum of Art, the Princeton University Art Museum, and more. Our team of specialists works directly with artists, estates, and institutions to highlight the appreciation, historical depth, beauty, and cultural significance of Japanese ceramics in New York and internationally.
We welcome you to visit our website to learn more about our artists and artworks, or to contact us for more information.
