#31 Indigo Kokeshi Vessel

For Akio Nukaga throwing on the wheel is a technique close to his heart, one that he can always rely on. Each piece in this collection is an exploration in stacking architectural forms including spheres, cylinders, and cones in hopes of pushing expectations of what tableware can be. This piece features his signature “Pleated Work” technique of carving grooves into the wet clay after it is thrown on the wheel. The form—inspired by traditional kokeshi dolls—is accentuated by these grooves curving down the profile of the vessel creating movement and rhythm. Akio finishes the vessel by applying different colored slips (liquid clay)—a technique that he has refined over the last 30 years—to create richly varied surfaces that are complex to see and touch.