Images(4)

Slender Copper Vase

DesignerDesigned by Hiroki Iwata (Hiroshima, Japan, born 1965)

MakerMade by Hiroki Iwata (Hiroshima, Japan, born 1965)

Date2004

Object NameVase

Mediumcopper, enamel and gold foil

ClassificationsApplied Art

DimensionsHeight: 27cm
Base Width: 13.4cm
Base Depth: 7.4cm
Weight of vase: 790 grammes

AcquisitionPurchased in 2005 with assistance from the National Collecting Scheme for Scotland and the National Art Collections Fund.

LocationOn Display - Gallery 05

Object numberABDAG011211

Keywords

About MeThe vessel has a glossy green enamel interior. Iwata has fixed small pieces of precious metal clay to the exterior prior to the enamelling process. After firing, he rubbed the surface of the vessel with a stone to remove pieces of the enamel to reveal small imperfections, which he then flecked with bright gold foil. The result is an intriguing and unusual textured surface.

Iwata is one of the very few young Japanese metal artists researching and experimenting with enamel; a traditional form of decoration practised in Japan since the sixteenth century. This piece is an expression of the respect Iwata has for his country's own cultural achievements, both in the use of an established form of decoration, and in the following of the Japanese tradition of innovation and experimentation. While the heart of the vase shines like an emerald jewel, he has pushed the boundaries by using enamel as a texturing medium rather than mere embellishment on the outside. The vase echoes further Japanese cultural elements with its fluid graceful lines which evoke the Kimono.
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Although the inside of this vase is green with typically shiny enamel, its exterior consists of stone-rubbed enamel to create texture which was then flecked with gold.

Exhibitions

Gallery 05 - Crafting Colour