
Image from Digital Ceramics Museum, Taiwan: https://digital.ceramics.ntpc.gov.tw/en-us/Collection/2_31.htm?172
Collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, OH
(1919-1990)
Considered one of the greatest Japanese clay artists of the twentieth century, Okabe Mineo (also known as Katō Mineo) was the son of the celebrated Katō Tōkurō (1898-1985) who worked in Seto. As a youth, he mastered techniques learned from his grandfather before entering ceramics school. Okabe's early works were created on the wheel in the refined styles of Korean Yi dynasty pottery and Chinese blue-and-white porcelains. In 1954, Okabe began to create hand-built ceramics that were embellished with impressed rope-marks like those seen in Jōmon ware. He later experimented with ash and iron glazes. Okabe's acclaimed body of work also includes powdery textured celadon and craquelure teabowls together with intensely colored sculptural Oribe and subtler Shino glazed works. His brilliant career led to numerous awards and prizes. As his work was coveted during his lifetime and his solo shows sold-out, commanding serious prices, there are few of his works in foreign institutional collections; a noteworthy recent exception is the Cleveland Museum of Art.
OKABE MINEO (1919-1990)
Dark green Oribe-glazed mizusashi (water jar) with alternating carved bands and a ceramic cover
ca. 1960
Glazed stoneware
6 5/8 x 6 1/2 x 6 1/8 in.
SOLD
OKABE MINEO (1919-1990)
Rice-colored craquelure celadon (beishoku) vase in the form of a classical furling-block (kinuta) with ears in the shape of wings
1976
Porcelaneous stoneware
10 3/8 x 6 3/4 in.
SOLD
OKABE MINEO (1919-1990)
Highly unusual yellow Seto vase in the form of an attenuated furling block (kinuta) with carved irregular horizontal bands
ca. 1963-65
Glazed stoneware
11 1/2 x 5 1/2 in.
SOLD
OKABE MINEO (1919-1990)
Oribe-glazed tokkuri-style vase with incised linear patterning
ca. 1962
Oribe-glazed stoneware
8 3/4 x 4 1/2 in.
SOLD
OKABE MINEO (1919-1990)
Rice-colored (beishoku) dripping, craquelure celadon teabowl
ca. 1970
Glazed stoneware
3 3/4 x 5 1/2 x 5 1/4 in.
SOLD
OKABE MINEO (1919-1990)
Shino straight-sided teabowl decorated with unusual carved angular patterning
ca. 1955
Glazed stoneware
3 1/4 x 3 3/4 x 4 in.
SOLD