Koro, incense burner, Nakamura Takuo, Baizan III

Koro, incense burner, Nakamura Takuo, Baizan III
Red clay incense burner modeled by Nakamura Takuo, also known as Baizan III. The work plays on the contrast between the rough base, sculpted directly from the clay, with its angular and powerful shapes, and the smooth enameled lid, adorned with geometric motifs typical of the Kutani tradition. The vividly colored enamels—yellow, green, and orangey-pink—are enhanced with gold highlights, giving the object an almost jewel-like presence, like a jewel emerging from the rock.

This koro, or incense burner, created around 2001, can be compared to a work housed at the Metropolitan Museum. It demonstrates Nakamura Takuo's ability to blend heritage and modernity. Born in 1945 in Kanazawa, he is one of the masters of Kutani porcelain. Trained under his father, Baizan Nakamura, he further developed enamel techniques in Seto and then in Italy with Ardo Rontini. His work is marked by the influence of the Rinpa movement of the Edo period, whose decorative codes he transposes into resolutely contemporary compositions.

The expressive modeling of the base reveals a sculptural approach in which the material retains its telluric strength. This uneven base reveals the lid as a precious form, balancing roughness and refinement. The whole works like an abstract landscape, a dialogue between mineral nature and ornamental culture.

Nakamura Takuo's works are featured in numerous private collections as well as in the permanent collections of international museums, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. This incense burner is a brilliant synthesis, suitable for both the discerning art connoisseur and a decorator seeking powerful, sculptural, and inhabited pieces.

Height: 10.5 cm
Dimensions: approx. 18 x 10.5 cm
Tomobako (wooden box) signed.